Bright sunbeam

Appearance

;Male
Male upperside, forewing: velvety black, an elongate broad medial patch dark orange red, that extends from base outwards for about three-fourths the length of the wing and fills the area from vein 1 to the middle of the cell; in some specimens diffusely, spread below vein 1 near base, but there shaded with dusky black; the outer margin of this red patch unevenly rounded. Hindwing: brownish black, a large orange-red spot above vein 3 to near apex, inwardly extended into the cell to near the base of the wing and posteriorly diffuse below vein 3, but in the cell thickly overlaid with dusky-black scaling and posteriorly shaded with long brown hairs that in certain lights take a golden tint; above the cell extended from the base of the wing to the inner margin of the orange spot is a prominent broad streak of a shade darker than the ground colour; abdominal fold pale pinkish brown. Underside: silvery white with sparsely scattered minute black dots. Forewing: a discal and inner subterminal series of very indistinct somewhat lunular black markings that form broken anteriorly convergent bands, which are continued over the hindwing to the tornus; beyond these, on both forewings and hindwings, succeeds an outer subterminal series of minute black dots, in most specimens very indistinct. Antennae, head, thorax and abdomen dark brown; sides of the abdomen golden brown; beneath: palpi, thorax and abdomen white.

;Female
Female upperside: more or less as in the male, but the dark orange-red medial patches replaced by white and much larger. On the forewing this white patch extends above the cell, the discocellulars closing which are prominently marked by a black tooth, and posteriorly it reaches the dorsal margin. On the hindwing the white patch is very large and in some specimens very diffuse. Both forewings and hindwings are shaded at the base by dusky scales and in many specimens the markings of the underside are plainly visible by transparency; the broad black streak above the cell on the hindwing is present in some, absent in other specimens. Underside: ground colour and markings as in the male, but much more prominent.

Reproduction

About 10 mm long. Colour velvety green; head dark brown; 3rd and 4th segments with narrow, obliquely placed lateral stripes of crimson, edged posteriorly with yellow; 6th to 11th segments with a slender longitudinal dorsal stripe of the same colour; the spiracles on each side surmounted by a slender, lunulated, pale yellow line; on the 9th segment a conspicuous quadrate patch of white between the spiracular yellow lunule and the crimson dorsal line; 12th and remaining segments dark green; on the 12th two greenish-yellow, erect, rigid processes slightly divergent at their apices; the tentacles protruded from their processes seem to be pinkish brown, with a tuft of black and white hairs at their apices; but it is not easy to note the colour of the hairs, as they are protruded, whirled round and withdrawn with great rapidity. There is no opening or honey-gland on the 11th or other segment, as in many lycaenid larvae. In shape also these do not resemble the larva of the Lycaenidae which as a rule, are onisciform. In these the head is small and almost always completely hidden under the 2nd segment; the 3rd, 4th, and 5th segments sloped upwards posteriorly, form each a well-marked transverse ridge.