Range Northwest Territories south along the eastern edge of the Cascade and Sierra Nevada Mountains to central Mexico, east through all the eastern United States. Not found in high mountains or in arid lands far from water. Across the hindwing is a black line with a single row of white dots in the black marginal band. There are several rows of white commas in the terminal black band. The undersides are lighter.
Antennae are thin and feathery.
The adult's modified mouth parts or sucking tube, coils up when not in use, but can reach deep into flowers to suck nectar. The wing span ranges from two and one half to three and one half inches. During most of the day, males perch on vegetation or patrol their habitats for females. After mating, the females lay pale green to yellow-colored oval eggs at the tip of a host plant's leaves, depositing two or three eggs per plant. The caterpillars eat their egg cases after hatching, then they feed at night.