It was described by Johan Christian Fabricius in 1793 and is found in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Assam in India and Yunnan in China.

It is possibly also found in Taiwan and Hongkong, but these records might be Lymantria iris.

There are indistinct double lunulate antemedial, medial, and postmedial lines present.

In female, abdomen crimson, with a dark line on vertex and series of lateral black spots, the extremity is brownish.

The sex pheromone 2-Methyl-(Z)-7-octadecene is known to be emitted by L. serva and allopatric with Lymantria lucescens.