The pansy daggerwing is found in neotropical cloud forests from Guatemala to Peru. Adult males will sometimes gather in small clusters on mineral-rich soil banks. Females prefer hiding in the lush canopy. Because cloud forests are so mountainous and remote, little else is known about the pansy daggerwing's lifecycle.

Daggerwings have tails on their hindwings, and are often confused with swallowtail butterflies. However, like other members of the brush-tailed butterfly family, adult daggerwings have only four legs.