Abdomen is all black, or black with a yellow dash on the side of the rear. Wings are mostly black with pale yellow markings. Tails are very short on most subspecies. Females lay eggs singly on top of host plant leaves or on flowers.
Caterpillars feed on the edges of leaves and hide at the base of plants.
Mountains, desert mountains, and canyons. Several subspecies occur entirely or primarily on Federal lands. Prevent removal of caterpillar host plants from public lands. Limit collection by permits. G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.