Represents a highly specialized group of nocturnal lepidopterans characterized by an adult wingspan ranging from 80 to 110 millimeters. Significant sexual dimorphism is evident, with males possessing broad, bipectinate antennae used for detecting chemical signals, while females display slender, filiform antennae and a heavier body. The forewings exhibit cryptic coloration in shades of grayish brown and ochre, closely mimicking dead foliage. Conversely, the hindwings feature a stunning central eyespot (ocellus) with a black pupil, ringed in yellow and white, set against a vibrant background of pinkish-red hues designed to startle potential predators when uncovered. The larvae are robust, covered in toxic, branching urticating spines (scoli) that are bright green with lateral red and white stripes.

Geographical distribution: Occurs widely across South America, particularly within the southern and central regions of Brazil (including the Cerrado and Atlantic Forest biomes), northern Argentina, Paraguay, and parts of eastern Bolivia.

Habitat: Favors humid subtropical forests, gallery forests, and semi-open savannah woodlands such as the Cerrado. It adapts well to mature secondary forests where high botanical diversity provides ample host plants, avoiding highly deforested or urbanized landscapes.

Feeding: Exhibits complete nutritional divergence across its life cycle. Adults have vestigial mouthparts and are aphagous, meaning they do not feed and rely entirely on lipid reserves stored during the larval stage. Conversely, the caterpillars are highly polyphagous herbivores, consuming foliage from various plant families, notably Fabaceae, Myrtaceae, and Rosaceae.

Behavior: Demonstrates strictly nocturnal activity as adults. Males fly actively during the night in search of females, guided by chemical cues, and are easily attracted to artificial light sources. During the day, adults remain motionless on the forest floor or trunks, relying on crypsis. Larvae display gregarious behavior during their initial instars to deter predators through collective warning displays, transitioning to a solitary lifestyle as they mature.

Reproduction: Commences shortly after adult emergence, when the female positions herself to emit volatile sex pheromones to attract flying males. Mating occurs during the night, after which the female oviposits clusters of small, creamy-white eggs on the underside of host plant leaves. The embryonic development lasts about 12 to 15 days before the larvae hatch. After undergoing several molts, the mature caterpillar crawls down to the soil to construct a coarse silk cocoon incorporated with leaf litter in the humus layer, where it undergoes pupation.

Conservation status: Has not been officially assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and currently lacks a global threat status. However, local populations face silent declines due to habitat loss, agricultural expansion, and the intensive use of chemical insecticides in their native environments.