Sulphur Butterflies (Coliadinae)

Whites and Sulphurs (Pieridae) Identifying Whites Cabbage White Butterfly Orange Tip Butterflies Types of Butterflies

The yellow winged butterflies you see in fields, forests and backyards around the United States are Sulphur butterflies (Coliadinae).

Most species are large, with a two to three inch average wing span.

The Dainty Sulphur in the top picture is a common species in the Midwest and Southwest.

It is also the smallest species presented here, with a wing span averaging about one inch.

The Orange Sulphur is one of many similar looking sulphurs, each sharing two specific field identification marks.

The tops of the wings have black stripes that often show through on side pictures.

The underside of the wings has a distinct white spot.

Many sulphur species with these marks have a geographically limited range.

In some areas, species overlap, making for difficult field identification.

The picture on the left, a Southern Dogface, superficially resembles the Orange Sulphur.

If you compare the edges on the top wings for each species, you will notice a more pointed tip for the Southern Dogface. That is a field identification mark.

They are fairly common butterflies in the South and Midwest.

The Sleepy Orange butterfly (Abaeis nicippe) is a common butterfly across the southern part of the United States.

There are some light black markings rather than the white dot on the underwing. That trait helps with field identification.

Females have more marks than males. Winter colors on both are brighter.

© 2007. Patricia A. Michaels. All Rights Reserved.