Pupae have two short horns. Sweetbay, Magnolia virginiana L., is also listed as a host, but in laboratory studies, larvae refused to eat it. Larvae spin a silk mat on a leaf which contracts to curl the leaf upward. They rest on the silk mat. Males patrol wooded areas in search of females.
Adults feed on nectar from a variety of flowers with a particular fondness for thistles.
Adults also sip water and minerals at mud. Selected References Gerberg, E.J. and R.H. Arnett. 1989. Medley, J.C., and T.R. Fasulo. Florida Butterfly Tutorials. The Common Names of North American Butterflies.