Chlosyne lacinia is a remarkably varied species visually, with many color variations.
   The dorsal side wings are primarily black, with the fore wings having rows of white, yellow, and or orange spots of varied size. (There will typically be one whitish spot in the forewing cell.)
    The hind wing has several color variations, including one that is almost completely black, one having some red postmedian spots, one having a few rows of white postmedian spots, one having an all red orange discal area, and one having a yellow orange postmedian band of varying width.
   The ventral side of the wings is just as variable as the dorsal side.

   They vary from having a few rows of white and red spots to one having a yellowish white hindwing median band of varying width to one where the underside is mostly golden yellow with large yellowish orange spots and a thick golden yellow median band. (All of these variations have a red spot near the hindwing tornus.)

   They can be found in habitats such as desert hills, mesquite woodlands, pinyon woodlands, and oak woodlands. 

   In North America, they prefer agricultural areas and weedy wastelands where their preferred host plant, Helianthus annuus, can be found.

   Sunny, dry weather conditions are best suited to finding the Bordered Patch butterfly on wing, as they prefer to fly and feed in the warmth and light of the sun.

   They have three or four broods per year.

   As do many butterflies, they retain toxins from their larval host plants, thus making them unpalatable to predators as adults. (Potential predators include birds, rodents, bats, spiders, insects, reptiles and amphibians.)