This butterfly is found from Mexico to the Amazon Basin in lowland forests. It gets its name from its resemblance to a miniature representation of the night sky. It is black, like the nighttime sky, and has tiny blue specks which resemble stars. The word "cracker" comes from the cracking sound that the males make when they take off. The female has a white band on the dorsal side of the forewing that is broader than the band on the male. The wingspan is about 2.8 inches (7 cm). The adult butterflies do not visit flowers, instead obtaining their nourishment by sucking the juices from rotting fruit. Like their well-camouflaged relatives, starry night crackers like to rest head-downward on the trunks of trees with their wings flattened against the bark.