Wings are bright yellow-orange.
Females have wider borders and darker markings than males. Underside has no markings but may have darker orange veins. Females deposit eggs singly on host plant leaves. Caterpillars eat leaves and use them to make nests. Nectar from pink and white flowers including swamp and common milkweeds, shrub houstonia, mountain mint, marsh fleabane, sweet pepperbush, buttonbush, thistles, and pickerelweed.