{106}The expansion of the wings varies from 2-3/8 to 2¾ inches. Above, all the wings are black, becoming bronzy towards the body. _The fore-wings have a band of dark red nearly across the middle, and a series of three small blue spots, and three larger white spots near the apex. The hind-wings have a broad dark red band near the termen, containing two pairs of black spots with blue centres._ On the under side the fore-wings are dark brown, with a broad patch of red in the middle, and a very conspicuous eye-like mark on the costa, consisting of a black central spot surrounded by a blue ring, and encircled by a yellow crescent towards the termen. The hind-wings are brownish-grey, with many darker and paler markings; the four spots on the upper surface are faintly indicated on the under side by blackish rings and central dots; the colouring of the under side varies a good deal. It is considerably darker and duller in some specimens than in others. The egg, which is deposited on a nettle-leaf, is barrel-shaped, ornamented with a series of longitudinal ribs meeting in a central spot on the top. It is pale green, with the ribs white. The young larva, when first hatched, is dusky-yellow, with the spines black. In about a week it moults for the first time, and is then of an almost uniform brown, with the lateral lines faintly indicated. Ten days later it again sheds its skin, after which time the white lateral markings are considerably stronger. The full-grown larva varies from black to reddish-brown, with interrupted pale lateral and dorsal lines. On the third and fourth segments there are four spines, on the fifth to eleventh seven spines; the twelfth segment has six spines, and the thirteenth two spines. There are numerous white dots all over the larva. The spines vary from pale green to black. The caterpillar is considerably attenuated at each end, the central portions being somewhat swollen. Length about 1½ inches.