Green Nature

Cloudless Sulphur

picture of a female cloudless sulphur butterfly


The Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae) is the most widespread member of the Phoebis genus in the United States. With the exception of the northern tier states, its range extends from coast to coast.

Males are a yellow color and females have both a yellow and white form and generally have more marks than the male.

The top picture shows a female with a wide band of pink around the edges of the wings. The crooked line of spots on the top wing differentiates it from the Large Orange Sulphur.

The pink band at the edges of the wings is not so prominent in all females.

© 2008 Patricia A. Michaels