The female very different from the male, resembling certain Aristolochia-Papilios which occur together with it; wings brown-black, with or without white patches on the forewing; hindwing above with two rows of red spots, the proximal row incomplete, some of the spots merged together in pairs into 2 or 3 large patches.

The butterfly is found in forests and in their neighbourhood; the female is a true woodland species, like the Aristolochia-Papilios whose dress it wears, whilst the males disport themselves more in open, sunny localities.

— tolus Godin, & Salv.male: band of the forewing narrow, the anterior spot long, the 2. short.

male: band broader than in tolus, tail narrower, no spots, or only very small ones, before the upper angle of the cell of the forewing.

— leptalea R.& J. male: yellow band of the forewing narrower than the black marginal area, narrower than in all the other forms of this species; the spots before the apex of the cell small; the submarginal spots of the hindwing distinct, the apex of the cell on the under surface black as far as the base of the 1. median; tail spatulate.

The female very variable; the tail always slender, commonly short; 5 principal forms: female-f. theras R. & J., forewing with cell-spot, which however does not extend across the cell, and one or more spots on the disc; female-f. caudius Hbn.

(= flava Haase) resembles patos, but the patches on the hindwing are yellow-white; female-f. cleolas R & J. has no spots on the forewing, but on its under surface a yellowish white submarginal band.

East and South Venezuela, the Guianas, the Amazons and the eastern slopes of the Andes of Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.

The female occurs only in one form: forewing with spot in the cell and a large patch between the 1. and 2. median: tail spatulate, with rounded tip.