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Although this is a large butterfly, it is slightly smaller than other admirals, with a wingspan of 51 to 67 mm. Dorsal wing surface is black with white median bands on all wings; the distinctive forewing tips are orange. Ventral wing surface is reddish-brown with white marginal bands. It is easily distinguished from Weidemeyer's Admiral (L. weidemeyerii) and the White Admiral (L. arthemis) as they lack the orange forewing tips. However, this species hybridizes with White Admirals (L. arthemis) in southern Alberta. Hybrids have the orange wing tips as well as a wider white band on the fore and hindwings. The pale green eggs of L. lorquini are thimble-shaped and have deep pitted cells. There are fine glassy hairs where cells meet (Guppy & Shepard, 2001). Early instar larvae have large dark brown heads and olive green bodies with a pair of tubercles on the thorax and two pairs of tubercles on the abdomen. Late instar larvae resemble leaf droppings, mottled with olive and yellow and have a white patch on their back. The hump on the larvae of this species is smaller than those found on larvae of other admiral species (Guppy & Shepard, 2001). Pupae are large and have a keel projecting from the back of the thorax. The wings and the back of the abdomen are dark green-grey, the thorax is mottled (Guppy & Shepard, 2001).

Males perch in valley bottoms all day to watch for females and defend territories (Guppy & Shepard, 2001). Eggs are laid on the upperside of host plant leaf tips (Bird et al., 1995). Larvae feed on leaves and developing larvae overwinter in rolled leaf shelters or hibernaculum (Acorn, 1993; Bird et al., 1995).

Unknown for Alberta. Elsewhere, larvae feed on willows (Salix sp.), aspen (Populus sp.), apple, saskatoon (Amelanchier alnifolia), Cotoneaster sp., hardhack (Spiraea sp.), hawthorn (Crateagus sp.), and cherry (Prunus sp.)(Bird et al., 1995; Layberry et al., 1998; Guppy & Shepard, 2001). Adults have been reported to feed on flower nectar, willow sap, bird droppings, and dung (Opler et al., 1995).

Its core Canadian range lies in coastal and southern British Columbia and there is one outlying population in the Cypress Hills of Saskatchewan (Layberry et al., 1998). Its range extends south from Canada to southern California and Baja California and east to western Montana and Idaho (Opler et al., 1995).