Yellow Butterflies (Coliadinae)

Yellow Butterflies (Coliadinae) Cloudless Sulphur Dainty Sulphur Large Orange Sulphur Little Yellow Lyside Sulphur Mimosa Yellow Orange Sulphur Sleepy Orange Southern Dogface Tailed Orange Western Sulphur White Butterflies Butterfly Pictures

The yellow butterflies seen in fields, forests and backyards around the United States are also known as sulphur butterflies (Coliadinae), and they belong to the same butterfly family, Pieridae, as the white butterflies.

Most species are large, with a two to three inch average wing span. The Dainty Sulphur, a common Midwest and Southwest species is the smallest sulphur species, with an average one inch wing size.

Yellow butterflies divide into ten genera. Almost half of them belong to one genus, Colias. The remaining nine genera contain less than five native species, many of which are nontropical, and found only in the southern most areas of the United States.

Sulphur identification may or may not be difficult, depending on the species or genus in question.

Colias species share many physical characteristics. Because most Colias species have geographically limited ranges that do not overlap, identifying them is usually not difficult. The Orange sulphur and Clouded sulphur are exceptions to the rule. Both species can be found from coast to coast, and both species look very similar.

The Cloudless Sulphur, Large Orange Sulphur and Orange-barred Sulphur, members of the Phoebis genus, also share many physical similarities. A close inspection of the patterns on their hind wings usually clears up any identification confusions.

The links in the box on the right point to a list of sulphur butterflies representing seven of the ten sulphur genera. Please click on any link to learn more.

© 2008. Patricia A. Michaels. All Rights Reserved.