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June 1, 2024  |  By Ben Ivers

Orange Sulphur

Orange Sulphur Live

Orange Sulphur - iNaturalist

There are complete pink and black spots that run from top to bottom

During the summer of 2023, we had an extremely prolific flower garden that was teeming with different perennials. I was walking around taking photos of some of these flowers when I came upon this butterfly. Its common name is orange sulphur or the alfalfa butterfly.

Red Admiral

The orange sulphur has a beautiful array of colors on its wings. The underside of the wing is primarily yellow, or sulphur, in color. It has a rim of pink along the outer edge of the wings. There are complete pink and black spots that run from top to bottom, and then there are three additional spots more towards the middle of the wing. The top spot is black with a white center, and then there are two lower spots that are pink with a white center. The middle spot is stacked just above the lowest spot, and it is much smaller. The topside of the orange sulphur’s wings is primarily orange, with a stroke of black at the outermost edge. There are black and orange spots that mirror one another on each of its wings.

The scientific name of the orange sulphur is Colias eurytheme. It belongs to the family of butterflies Pieridae. Its subfamily is Coliadinae, which are known as the lowland clouded yellows and sulphurs. The caterpillars of this butterfly primarily feed on various species in the pea family, and they typically feed at night. The common name alfalfa butterfly comes from the fact that its caterpillars can become a pest to alfalfa crops.

Fritillary

There are 76 genera in the family Pieridae that contain more than 1,100 species. Most of these are in tropical Asia and tropical Africa, but there are some in North America and Eurasia. They are mostly white, yellow, or orange butterflies with black spots. This family is actually thought to be home to the word “butterfly”, as the brimstone, Gonepteryx rhamni, was called the butter-coloured fly” by early British naturalists.

There are 76 genera in the family Pieridae that contain more than 1,100 species

Did you know?

  • The orange sulphur can be found throughout North America.
  • The female orange sulphurs will mate once every four to six days throughout the summer.
  • There are four subfamilies in the Pieridae family. Some of the species in the Coliadiae subfamily have wing patterns that are only visible in ultraviolet light.
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Article by Ben Ivers

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Matt Hamas and Ben Ivers here. We are focused on fostering a greater understanding and appreciation of the environment. We endeavor to bring you a unique perspective of the wild. Our photos are being placed here for you to enjoy. Please feel free to download any of the photos for your personal use. We are currently seeking partners for printing and developing photos.

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