cloudless sulphur | skymeadows

cloudless sulphur (Phoebis sennae)

CONFIRMATION STATUS: Confirmed.

FAMILY: Whites and Sulphurs (Pieridae)
SUBFAMILY: Sulphurs (Coliadinae)

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.

WING SPAN: 2 1/4 - 3 1/8 inches (5.7 - 8 cm).

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.

CONSERVATION: Not usually required.

NATURESERVE GLOBAL STATUS: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally,
though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the
periphery.

MANAGEMENT NEEDS: None reported.

SKY MEADOWS OCCURRENCE:

Note: Due to seasonal conditions in this region, occurrence may vary from

year to year. The designation of occurrence may range over two or more

categories and may vary even during a single season.

Key to Checklist

A   Abundant: Easy to see very large numbers of individuals in appropriate habitat
      at proper time of year.
C   Common: Usually each to see good numbers of individuals in appropriate habitat
      at proper time of year.
U   Uncommon: Sometimes found in appropriate habitat and proper time of year,
      usually in low numbers.
O   Occasional: Found in appropriate habitat perhaps only a few times a year, usually
      in low numbers.
R   Rare: Small chance of being found, even in appropriate habitat at proper time of
      year. There are few individuals and may not be present every year.
X   Extirpated: Formerly present, no longer occurs in Sky Meadows Park.