Abdomen of male is red, abdomen of female has red and black bands. Upperside of wings is white with thick black markings.
Females lay eggs in early afternoon in bands around plant stems.
Eggs overwinter and hatch in February or March. Young caterpillars feed together and when older they feed alone. Caterpillars prefer flowers and buds of the host plants. Fully-grown caterpillars wander around and then spin loose cocoons under plant debris or in sandy soil. One flight from September-November.