It is named for the mineral malachite, which is similar in color to the bright green on the butterfly's wings.

The malachite is found throughout Central and northern South America, where it is one of the most common butterfly species.

Its distribution extends as far north as southern Texas and the tip of Florida, to Cuba as subspecies S. s. insularis (Holland, 1916), and S. s. biplagiata, and south to Brazil.

Adults feed on flower nectar, rotting fruit, dead animals, and bat dung.

The larvae are horned, spiny, black caterpillars with red markings, The pupal stage is green, with sharp, gold spines that can puncture predators.