They are a brightly colored, Neotropical butterfly with a unique wing shape, found in Central and northern South America.

The amber daggerwing exhibits several interesting characteristics varying from their unusual behavior to their physical traits that make them so distinct.

The genus name Marpesia is derived from Marpess, the wife of Idas, a mortal who decided to go against Apollo when he carried off Marpessa /ˌmɑːrˈpɛsə/ (Ancient Greek: Μάρπησσα).

Countries inhabited by this species include Mexico, Honduras, Costa Rica, Brazil, Peru, Colombia and Bolivia.

If the following season post-egg laying is rainy or has subsequent heavy rains, this can influence the growth rate and development of the butterfly.

[6][7] If the M. berania larvae survives the harsh conditions, they grow to full size within 6-8 days, developing a colorful pattern marked with a yellow body with blue-green stripes running longitudinally from head to tail.

[2][4] As elaborated on in the Life ecology section, the amber daggerwing roosts in clumps of leaves found on small trees.

Marpesia berania males engage in mud-puddling and are observed singly or in small groups of up to six at riverbanks or puddles, consuming moisture.

[1][2] Both sexes have been shown to have equal life expectancy and reproduction so that next generations can be alleviated or remain unaffected by abiotic factors via recruitment.

Adult mortality is speculated to be caused by bird predation, considering the broad area covered by roosting groups.

[2] Since M. berania is known to have a high longevity, any senescence effect on mortality is not supported as both sexes have been studied to live out equally long life spans.

[2] Both sexes have a telltale drastic point at the bottom ends of their wings, lending to their designation as a daggerwing butterfly.

Unlike most other butterflies, the front two legs of this species are curved inwards towards the body, which is a characteristic found in the family Nymphalidae.