These rare and beautiful butterflies can be found in warm, sunny and open places such as grassy herb rich meadows, vineyards, river banks, wetlands, cultivated areas, brushy places, wasteland, rocky cliffs and limestone terrains, at an elevation of 0 to 1,700 m above sea level but usually below 900 m.
   They are an early spring butterfly.
   Adults fly from April to June in a single brood.
   The adults are active for no more than three weeks.
   Females lay their eggs singly or in small groups at the bottom of the host plants. When found in the wild they prefer to live and lay their eggs in densely vegetated areas, and there is a positive correlation between number of leaves on the host plant and number of eggs laid by females.
   The females have slightly longer wings than the males, and they are usually lighter colored than males. The basic color of the wings is yellow, with a complicated pattern of several black bands and spots.

   On the edges of the hindwings they have a black sinuous line with a series of blue and red warning spots to deter potential predators (aposematism).    The body is dark brown and bears red patches on the sides of the abdomen.

   The special food of the larvae provides the toxic substances which are then transferred to the adults, making them unpalatable.