Upperside is dark brown with reddish to yellowish orange markings. Females deposit eggs singly on or near the host plant.
Caterpillars feed on leaves and live in shelters of tied leaves.
Fourth-stage caterpillars hibernate. One brood from late May to early August. Nectar from flowers including common milkweed, selfheal, mountain laurel, and tick trefoil. Open, moist areas including meadows, marshes, streamsides, wood edges, and prairie swales. G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.