The Painted Courtesan Euripus consimilis is a species of Nymphalid

Nymphalidae

The Nymphalidae is a family of about 5,000 species of butterflies which are distributed throughout most of the world. These are usually medium sized to large butterflies. Most species have a reduced pair of forelegs and many hold their colourful wings flat when resting. They are also called...

 butterfly found in Asia

Asia

Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...

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Description

For the terms used see glossary of Lepidopteran terms

Glossary of Lepidopteran terms

This glossary describes the terms used in the formal descriptions of insect species, jargon used mostly by professionals or entomologist....

Male. Upperside: fore wing black with the following white streaks and spots: a long streak from base, outwardly broadened and diffuse in interspace 1, a short slender streak in cell with a minute elongate spot below it, a broad, short, very oblique, in the middle broadly interrupted, median band, an oblique short row of slender paired streaks beyond in interspaces 3, 4 and 5, followed by a more complete postdiscal series of similar streaks from costa to interspace 2, and a terminal row of small dots turning into obscure streaks towards the apex. Hind wing white, traversed by the black veins, with the termen anteriorly narrowly, posteriorly broadly black, the broad portion traversed by a subterminal series of four or five crimson spots, and beyond by a terminal row of white spots. Underside similar; the markings broader, larger, and more clearly defined, the hind wing with a small patch and two spots of crimson at base. Antennae black; head, thorax and abdomen above black; the head and thorax beneath, the abdomen beneath and on the sides marked with white.

Female: Upper-side : fore wing similar, the white streaks much broader, single, not paired. Hind wing also similar, but the black on the terminal margin not at all or very slightly widened posteriorly, entirely without the crimson spots; there is instead a marked dilatation of the black bordering the veins 2, 3 and 4. Underside similar to the upperside.

Expanse: 70–88 mm.

Distribution

Sikkim, and westward to Kumaun; found also in Southern India; Assam; Burma, and Tenasserim.