(2015) diagnosed the family Meessiidae based on the following adult characters: small moths (wingspans 3-12 mm); forewing relatively slender and tapering, venation of
hindwing reduced, male genitalia symmetrical, and the long oviscapt of female genitalia with posterior apophyses nearly 3 times longer than the anterior apophyses (Regier et al.
It is characterized by the stalked ocelli and compound eyes, pronotum with umbelliform process dorsally, not concealing the scutellum or the forewings in repose; the forewing and
hindwing with one r-m and one m-cu crossvein; tibiae not foliaceous; metatibiae with cucullate setae in row II, first tarsomere has one cucullate setae apically and the abdomen without conspicuous punctuation (Deitz, 1975; Flynn, 2014).
The male is strikingly patterned in bold patches of deep chocolate brown and bright orange and with a blob of purple-blue at the base of the
hindwing. The female is similar but the blue is more subdued.
It was reiterated by Ansorge [14] that Archiptilia, Nannotrichopteron, Pararchitaulius, Parataulius, and Pseudorthophlebia were Lepidoptera because they had scales on the wing surface, and that Paratrichopteridium was either a
hindwing of Liadotaulius or belonged to Lepidoptera.
The underside is largely the same on the forewing but the
hindwing is mostly yellowish-white.
The moth is white with a pair of small black spots and streaks on the forewing and a few black spots on the hind edge of the
hindwing, expanded 35 to 45mm and lives for 2 to 6 days.
Description: This butterfly is commonly known as akk butterfly, plain tiger or African monarch, they are generally brown in appearance with white markings at apical part of forewing, both forewings and
hindwings have fringe of dark brown with small uneven spots, mid of
hindwing with three spots.
Diagnosis.--Species in this group are characterized by the more or less laterally compressed metasomal apex of females, with T4 - 7 always visible, and T1 nearly parallel sided; ovipositor and sheaths are relatively long and thick, with the sheaths rounded or lanceolate; antenna short with most flagellomeres only slightly longer than wide, antenna shorter than body, about as long as or shorter than forewing; forewing vein 1CUb more than 2 times longer than 1CUa, vein 1cua slightly inclivous, and vein M+CU more or less sinuate;
hindwing with wing vein RS sinuate, marginal cell narrowest at middle, vein m-cu mostly present and interstitial to just antefurcal, vein M+CU a little longer than 1M; apex of hind tibia without modified comb of setae.
It differs from others species of the subgenus and especially from Bungona (Chopralla) pusilla (Muller-Liebenau, 1984) (Borneo) by the combination of lacking
hindwing pads, the particular spination of distal margins of tergites, and the shape of the maxillary palp.
Patterns on the dorsal and ventral wing surfaces are frequently quite dissimilar and those of the forewing and
hindwing are also different.