Orange Sulphur

Class: Hexapoda (animals with six legs - includes all insects)
Order: Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths)
    lepido = scale and ptera = wings
    The wings are covered with small scales.
Family: Pieridae (whites and sulphurs)
Subfamily: Coliadinae (sulphurs)
Species: Colias eurytheme
Common Name: Orange Sulphur
Date: 2001 August 17
Place: Guadalupe Mountains National Park
    Frijole Ranch nectaring on Lantana in the back yard

At least some orange is required on the wings when viewed from the top for this to be the Orange Sulphur, otherwise it would be the Clouded Sulphur (Colias philodice). While the top surface is not shown here, there appears to be an orange cast on the underside of the front wing and that section of the obscured wing visible near the head. Both species feed on legumes including alfalfa.

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Note: This is a personal web site and is not affiliated with the National Park Service or Guadalupe Mountains National Park. Contact information for the author, Ron Lyons, is accessible through the Index Page referenced below. Thank you.