Outside the white area of the upperside, the wings are orange to brown, with a pattern of lighter and darker flecks.

The inner zone is mostly light beige with three parallel, curved, interrupted, grey-brown wavy lines, circling the wings' attachment to the body.

A triangle based on the front of the forewing and bordering the division line has the dark grayish-brown color of the outer zone.

The outer zone of the underside of the hindwing has a line of clear eyespots while the forewing has vaguer markings.

[4] A full description is given by Rothschild, W and Jordan, K.[5] The pearl emperor is a large, actively, fast and high-flying butterfly.