Iridescent blue-black brushfoot butterfly of eastern North American woodlands and a Batesian mimic of the distasteful pipevine swallowtail, which gives it protection from predators despite being edible itself. Larvae feed on the foliage of woody plants, with black cherry (Prunus serotina) among the most-used hosts; willows (Salix), aspens and cottonwoods (Populus), and deerberry are also documented hosts. Unlike most garden butterflies, adults rarely visit flowers, instead feeding at tree sap flows, rotting fruit, and dung — so supporting this species is about larval host trees rather than nectar plantings.

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