Dainty Sulphur
Nathalis iole Boisduval, 1836
Family: Pieridae
Subfamily: Coliadinae
Identification: Small, with elongated forewings. Upperside yellow with black markings, female with more extensive black than male. White form very rare. Underside of forewing with orange or yellow patch at base of wing and black spots at outer wing edge. Winter form has dusty green hindwing, summer form hindwing is pale yellow.
Wing Span: 3/4 - 1 1/4 inches (2 - 3.2 cm).
Life History: Males patrol a few inches above the ground in low areas for females. Females lay eggs singly on leaves of host plant seedlings. Adults rest with wings closed and held perpendicular to the sun's rays to warm themselves.
Flight: Throughout the year in peninsular Florida and South Texas. After overwintering as adults in the South, some migrate north in spring and summer. Flight of about 6 months in the north.
Caterpillar Hosts: Low-growing plants in the aster family (Asteraceae) especially shepherd's needle (Bidens pilosa), sneezeweed (Helenium), fetid marigold (Dyssodia), and cultivated marigold (Tagetes).
Adult Food: Nectars at Labrador tea, asters, wild marigold, rabbitbrush, and others.
Habitat: Open, dry places including coastal flats, weedy fields, grasslands, road edges, meadows, and hillsides.
Range: Resident in Guatemala north to peninsular Florida and the Southwest. Cannot survive cold winters, therefore every summer re-colonizes through the Great Plains to southeast Washington, southeast Idaho, Wyoming, and Minnesota.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 2275 verified sightings
Observation date: Dec 20, 2025
Submitted by: KittynNM
Region: Socorro County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Dec 21, 2025
Observation date: Nov 16, 2025
Submitted by: sgguthart
Region: Larimer County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Nov 23, 2025
Observation date: Oct 21, 2025
Submitted by: asombro_institute
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 17, 2025
Observation date: Nov 17, 2025
Submitted by: KittynNM
Region: Socorro County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 17, 2025
Observation date: Nov 16, 2025
Submitted by: Dogoszhi
Region: San Miguel County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 17, 2025
Observation date: Nov 02, 2025
Submitted by: sayornis_lacnm
Region: Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 13, 2025
Observation date: Nov 08, 2025
Submitted by: TJM321
Region: Texas, Travis County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 08, 2025
Observation date: Mar 19, 2025
Submitted by: LauEBSmx
Region: Mexico
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Oct 23, 2025
Observation date: Oct 21, 2025
Submitted by: BT
Region: Texas, Jones County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 21, 2025
Observation date: Oct 11, 2025
Submitted by: Blue Swallowtail
Region: Adams County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: Emily Geest
Verified date: Oct 20, 2025
Observation date: Oct 13, 2025
Submitted by: Reneerob17
Region: Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Oct 15, 2025
Observation date: Aug 19, 2025
Submitted by: klamke
Region: Pennington County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Sep 29, 2025
Observation date: Aug 19, 2025
Submitted by: klamke
Region: Pennington County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Sep 29, 2025
Observation date: Aug 19, 2025
Submitted by: klamke
Region: Pennington County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Sep 29, 2025
Observation date: Aug 23, 2025
Submitted by: bonfrey
Region: Torrance County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 26, 2025
Observation date: Oct 07, 1993
Submitted by: papilio1
Region: Denton County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 20, 2025
Observation date: Sep 15, 2025
Submitted by: asombro_institute
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 17, 2025
Observation date: Aug 20, 2025
Submitted by: asombro_institute
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 09, 2025
Observation date: Aug 20, 2025
Submitted by: asombro_institute
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 09, 2025
Observation date: Aug 20, 2025
Submitted by: asombro_institute
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 09, 2025
Observation date: Aug 20, 2025
Submitted by: asombro_institute
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 09, 2025
Observation date: Aug 20, 2025
Submitted by: asombro_institute
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 09, 2025
Observation date: Sep 02, 2025
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: San Miguel County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 05, 2025
Observation date: Aug 21, 2025
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Grand County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Aug 24, 2025
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