Displays a delicate morphology and reduced physical dimensions, which are highly characteristic of the family Lycaenidae, with an adult wingspan ranging between 18 and 24 millimeters. The dorsal surface of the wings is predominantly dark grayish-brown or dusky brown, often exhibiting subtle metallic blue or violet reflections near the wing bases under optimal lighting. Conversely, the ventral side presents a contrasting background of pale gray or ash gray, crossed by a prominent postdiscal band of bright carmine red or deep orange spots finely edged with white. Near the anal angle of the hindwing, there is a conspicuous, vivid red-orange spot centered with black, located adjacent to a pair of slender, hair-like tails that mimic false antennae, an evolutionary adaptation designed to deflect predatory strikes away from the butterfly´s vital head region.

Geographical distribution: Occurs as a native and widely distributed taxon across the temperate and subtropical zones of the southern cone of South America. Its presence is well documented throughout central and northern Argentina, spanning provinces such as Córdoba, Tucumán, Santa Fe, Entre Ríos, and northern Buenos Aires. Furthermore, its populations extend continuously into Uruguay, southern Paraguay, and the southernmost states of Brazil, particularly in Rio Grande do Sul, demonstrating a high ecological plasticity to adapt to the climatic gradients of these South American territories.

Habitat: Settles preferentially in open, transitional ecosystems, displaying a strong ecological affinity for the dry Chaco biome, the Espinal, and various shrubby savanna habitats. It is frequently encountered along the edges of native forests, gallery forest clearings, xerophytic grasslands, and human-modified areas including roadsides, fallow agricultural fields, and urban gardens where its larval host plants are present. This species requires microhabitats with high levels of direct solar radiation, which is essential for the thermoregulation of adults during their diurnal activity cycles.

Feeding: Exhibits a highly differentiated diet depending on the developmental stage of its life cycle. Adults are generalist nectarivores that visit a diverse array of wild flowering plants, showing a marked preference for the nectar of families such as Asteraceae (specifically the genera Baccharis and Eupatorium) and Verbenaceae, which supply the essential sugars required to sustain flight. In contrast, the caterpillars are specialized phytophages, feeding primarily on the unopened flower buds, tender young leaves, and developing seed pods of plants in the Leguminosae (Fabaceae) family and occasionally Sapindaceae, utilizing their chewing mouthparts to consume host tissues.

Behavior: Characterized by a remarkably fast, erratic, and low-flying flight pattern, typically remaining within two meters of the ground or flitting around the canopy of low shrubs. Males are highly territorial and exhibit a distinct perching behavior, resting on leaves fully exposed to sunlight to patrol their territory and intercept receptive females. While perched, they frequently rub their hindwings together in a vertical, alternating motion, causing the delicate filamentous tails to wiggle; this behavior mimics head movements and successfully misleads visual predators, such as lizards and insectivorous birds, into attacking non-essential parts of the wings.

Reproduction: Represents an oviparous species whose life cycle is closely synchronized with the phenology of its larval host plants. Following courtship and copulation, the female deposits tiny, dome-shaped, intricately sculptured eggs individually onto the flower buds or young shoots of the host plant. The hatched larvae possess an onisciform or woodlouse-like body shape, with a cryptic green or brownish coloration that provides excellent camouflage within the surrounding foliage. These caterpillars often engage in facultative myrmecophilous relationships with local ants, which protect the larvae from predators in exchange for nutrient-rich sugary secretions exuded from specialized dorsal nectar organs. Pupation takes place inside a chrysalis secured by a silken girdle to the underside of a leaf, a twig, or within the ground litter.

Conservation status: Has not been globally assessed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, currently classified under the status of Not Evaluated (NE). Regionally, it is considered a relatively common and stable species due to its capacity to colonize disturbed suburban and anthropic environments. However, local populations are vulnerable to habitat fragmentation caused by deforestation, agricultural expansion, and the intensive use of chemical pesticides, which eliminate both the larval host plants and the native nectar sources required by adults.