Adults have white hindwings and brown forewings, each with a dark streak, and a wingspan of 4cm (1.6in).[1] The abdomen is red or, more rarely, yellow.[1] Males have four large, grey-colored coremata behind them, which can exceed the length of the abdomen when inflated.[1]
An adult male Creatonotos gangis moth with its coremata inflated. This male has relatively short coremata.
Antennae minutely ciliated in both sexes. Head, thorax and fore wing pale pinkish ochreous. Palpi and legs smoky black, the femora yellow; a broad dorsal band on thorax; abdomen crimson above, with dorsal and lateral series of black spots. Fore wing with a broad black fascia below median nervure; two black spots at end of cell, and a broad streak beyond the lower angle. Hind wing pale or dark fuscous; some specimens with a sub-marginal series of black spots. The variety continuatus has additional black streaks on the fore wing below the costa, in cell, above inner margin, and in the marginal interspaces, but all the intergrades occur. Larva black, sparsely clothes with long hairs; head marked with white; a yellow dorsal line with a series of orange spots on it; prolegs pale.
—The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma: Moths Vol. II[6]
Adult males secrete the pheromonehydroxydanaidal in order to attract mates. The amount produced, and the size of the coremata which produce it, are however dependent on the diet that the moth experienced as a caterpillar. If the larval diet contained pyrrolizidine alkaloids, then the coremata become large and the male will release up to 400 micrograms (0.4 milligrams) of hydroxydanaidal, but if it does not, then the coremata do not grow large and no scent is produced.[9]
The larvae of C. gangis can cause extensive damage to the foliage of pomegranate trees.[7]
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