The butterfly has a rich fulvous orange forewings with a broad black apical border bearing a series of white spots. It occurs in two forms - form chrysippus which has orange hindwings, and form alcippoides which has white hindwings. Males can be distinguished by an additional brand on the hindwing.

Singapore is host to both forms of the Plain Tiger with the white-hindwinged form-alcippoides being the more common of the two forms. The species is distasteful to birds.

The recent development of a Butterfly Trail at Alexandra Hospital has brought the Plain Tiger to the urban garden of the hospital grounds.  The host plant, Asclepias currasivica, was grown in the trail and this has brought about a relatively large population of the Plain Tiger to the area.  It appears to be common as long as the host plant is available.