Megisba malaya has big black eyes, antennae, legs and belly striped black and white. The wings of female butterflies are wider and rounder compared to males. The Megisba malaya has a light brown, generally unmarked upperwings but the disc area of the forewing is paler. The underside of the wings is whitish gray with black spots and gray stripes on both wings. This species has a pair of short, smooth white-tipped tails on the vein 2 of the hindwings.
Larva: larvae of Megisba malaya are light green, cylindrical in shape, swollen middle internodes.
Pupa: Megisba malaya pupa in the form of lycaneid, thick with blunt tip.