Males and females are very different. Underside is gray or sooty yellow with a central pale patch outlined with dark scales.
Caterpillars live in a tube of silked-together leaves and feed mostly at night.
Nectar from flowers including shepherd's needle and lantana. Scrubby or open habitats including dunes, fields, pinewoods, roadsides, forest openings, yards, and parks. Southeastern United States and the West Indies south through eastern Mexico and central America to Argentina. Periodically strays north to northeast Iowa, northern Ohio, and Connecticut. G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.