[2]The upperside of the wings is dark reddish brown with the forewing sometimes having white submarginal spots.

The underside of the wings is also dark brown with a postmedian band made up of squarish spots.

The monarch is more orange, has heavier black-lined veins, and the underside of the wings is a pale yellowish color.

[2][5] The queen has nearly no black-marked veins, and has white forewing submarginal spots on both surfaces of the wings.

[5] The soldier may be found in a variety of open, subtropical habitats such as citrus groves, weedy water edges where host plants occur, dry fields, etc.