Upperside of male is yellow-orange with a wide brown border and a large squarish black stigma. Female upperside varies from yellow-brown to very dark brown, but always has a square transparent white spot at the end of the forewing cell. Underside of female hindwing is brown with nearly square cream or white spots.
Females lay single eggs on dry grass blades in the afternoon.
Caterpillars feed on leaves and live at the base of grasses in shelters of rolled or tied leaves. Nectar from many flowers including swamp and common milkweeds, buttonbush, dogbane, peppermint, red clover, tickseed sunflower, thistles, New York ironweed, marigold, and asters. Disturbed, open areas such as roadsides, landfills, pastures, meadows, fencerows, yards, parks, and lawns. Strays and colonizes north to central North Dakota, southern Michigan, Manitoba, and northern Pennsylvania. G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.