As its name implies, the white peacock is a whitish butterfly, but it has light orange wing borders and a lot of gray brown markings. Each forewing bears a single solid black spot and the hind wings have two smaller black dots. The white peacock is a common butterfly of open, weedy sites along waterways or ditches, where its larval host plants typically grow. It has a fast, low, erratic flight and is often difficult to approach. Females are significantly larger than males. Although common throughout southern Texas and Florida, the species regularly moves northward each year to establish temporary breeding colonies.

The small green eggs are deposited singly on the leaves of the host. The mature caterpillar is black with numerous branched spines and tiny white spots. Larvae live exposed on the host and often reach very abundant levels, sometimes defoliating parts of the host plant. The pupa is bright green and hangs from a silken button. Several generations are produced each year.

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