[6][3] In India, this butterfly is found in the Western Ghats and the Himalayas from Garhwal (Mussoorie) to Sikkim and Assam eastwards to Myanmar.

[7] Both sexes: The butterfly, which has a wingspan of 60 to 70 mm, is a dark vinaceous (colour of red wine) brown above.

Upperside forewing with an orange red subcostal basal streak and an indistinct blackish patch beneath the cell; front of thorax, anal tuft, and cilia of hindwing bright orange red; thorax and base of abdomen clothed with bluish grey hairs.

Underside paler brown; both wings with a small black orange red bordered basal spot: forewing with a well-defined purplish white spot within the cell; and a curved discal series of narrow less defined spots; posterior margin broadly yellow: hindwing with the veins towards the abdominal margin and cilia orange red; a curved ill-defined series of narrow purplish white discal streaks.

Female similar, but with darker bluish grey hairs without the orange red subcostal streak and black discal patch.The orange-striped awl is an insect of the low foothills with dense jungles and heavy rainfall.