This is also known as the Variegated Sailer, a name applied to Neptis antilope Leech, 1890, under which Evans (1932) had listed Neptis melba as a subspecies. Eliot (1969) later listed melba and gafuri as subspecies under Neptis armandia (Oberthür, 1876), which also differs considerably from melba and gafuri. Neither Evans nor Eliot presented any rationale or evidence for treating melba and gafuri as subspecies under other species.

The provisional arrangement of species and subspecies used here is based purely on superficial morphological grounds. This taxonomic matter needs to be carefully assessed with evidence from molecular phylogenies and genitalia dissections of this entire species group before long-term, reliable taxonomic arrangements may be made.