Wings are brown. Upperside of forewing has 2 large yellow-ringed eyespots. Lowerside of hindwing has a variable number of small eyespots. Southern and coastal butterflies are larger and have a yellow or yellow-orange patch on the outer part of the forewing.
Inland butterflies are smaller and have the yellow forewing patch reduced or absent.
In late summer, females lay eggs singly on host plant leaves. Caterpillars hatch but do not feed, instead hibernating until spring. One brood from late May-October. Females emerge later than males. Southern Canada and the continental United States except for most of the Southwest and Texas, southern peninsular Florida, and northern Maine.