Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae)

Order: Lepidoptera (le-pid-OP-ter-a) (Info) Family: Pieridae (pee-AIR-ih-dee) (Info) Genus: Phoebis Species: sennae Profile: 4 positives 2 neutrals No negatives Regional... This bug has been reportedly found in the following regions: Mobile, Alabama Deer, Arkansas Marion, Arkansas Boca Raton, Florida Cheval, Florida Citrus Park, Florida Jacksonville, Florida Lutz, Florida Macgregor, Florida Masaryktown, Florida Melrose Park, Florida Palm Coast, Florida Pembroke Pines, Florida Tallahassee, Florida Tampa, Florida Cornelia, Georgia Westchester, Illinois Hammond, Louisiana Port Vincent, Louisiana Tupelo, Mississippi Lincoln, Nebraska Concord, North Carolina Waynesville, North Carolina Corning, Ohio Glouster, Ohio Kellyville, Oklahoma Summerville, South Carolina Clarksville, Tennessee Bayview, Texas Doyle, Texas Fifth Street, Texas Houston, Texas (2 reports) Keller, Texas Missouri City, Texas Spring, Texas Watauga, Texas Member Notes: Rating Author Comment Neutral okus On Jul 25, 2006, okus from (Zone 8b) wrote: Aslo known as the Cloudless Giant Sulphur Positive aprilwillis On Jul 31, 2006, aprilwillis from Missouri City, TX (Zone 9a) wrote: These guys pretty much stay on my cassia alata, their host plant. They don't do all that much damage and are really lovely butterflies! Neutral Magpye On Aug 16, 2006, Magpye from NW Qtr, AR (Zone 6a) wrote: Wing span: 2 1/4 - 3 1/8 inches (5.7 - 8 cm). Identification: Upper surface of male is lemon yellow with no markings. Female is yellow or white; outer edges of both wings with irregular black borders; upper forewing with dark spot in cell. Lower surface of hindwing of both sexes with 2 pink-edged silver spots. Life history: Males patrol with rapid flight, searching for receptive females. Eggs are laid singly on young leaves or flower buds of host plants; caterpillars eat leaves and rest on underside of leaf petioles. Flight: Many flights year around in the Deep South; may have one flight in late summer in other southern states; immigrants to northern states in August or September usually do not reproduce. Caterpillar hosts: Cassia species in the pea family (Fabaceae). Adult food: Nectar from many different flowers with long tubes including cordia, bougainvilla, cardinal flower, hibiscus, lantana, and wild morning glory. Habitat: Disturbed open areas including parks, yards, gardens, beaches, road edges, abandoned fields, scrub. Range: Permanent resident from Argentina north to southern Texas and the Deep South. Regular visitor and occasional colonist in most of the eastern United States and the Southwest. Positive nick89 On Mar 15, 2007, nick89 from Tallahassee, FL (Zone 8b) wrote: Huge yellow butterflies that are very common. They can be seen year-around in northern Florida, even coming out on warmer winter days. Positive SusanLouise On Jan 28, 2009, SusanLouise from Lincoln, NE (Zone 5b) wrote: This is my favorite butterfly...a bright neon lemon-lime light fluttering in our gardens just brightened my days. We only had one last year...and it stayed til November 4th, just before our hard freeze. This year I'm getting a Cassia 'hebecarpa' plant to make sure we have many more this year! Positive steadycam3 On Jan 16, 2011, steadycam3 from Houston Heights, TX (Zone 9a) wrote: In Texas, I have observed the sulphurs nectaring on the abundant wild cedar sage.

By Magpye By okus By aprilwillis By aprilwillis By aprilwillis By Magpye By dmj1218 There are a total of 43 photos. Click here to view them all!