The underside of the larva is pinkish-brown. One dot on each side is beneath the lateral line. There are a pair of large tan false eyespots lined with black on the rear of the thorax. Larvae also have a smaller pair of tan spots at the front of the abdomen. Pupae are green with a white lateral line edged above with a purple-brown line.
Pupae have two short horns.
Sweetbay, Magnolia virginiana L., is also listed as a host, but in laboratory studies, larvae refused to eat it. Larvae spin a silk mat on a leaf which contracts to curl the leaf upward. They rest on the silk mat. Males patrol wooded areas in search of females. Adults feed on nectar from a variety of flowers with a particular fondness for thistles.