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 289 - 312 of 2291 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 14, 2021
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Sep 10, 2021
Observation date: Aug 29, 2021
Submitted by: tjay13
Region: Roosevelt County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 10, 2021
Observation date: Aug 28, 2021
Submitted by: JudyLY
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 09, 2021
Observation date: Jul 31, 2021
Submitted by: tjay13
Region: Socorro County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 09, 2021
Observation date: Aug 01, 2021
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Sep 08, 2021
Observation date: Sep 03, 2021
Submitted by: Blue Swallowtail
Region: Hall County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: Emily Geest
Verified date: Sep 07, 2021
Observation date: Sep 02, 2021
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 02, 2021
Observation date: Aug 19, 2021
Submitted by: Christinalea
Region: Texas, Wichita County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Aug 23, 2021
Observation date: Aug 21, 2021
Submitted by: scottmcutler
Region: New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 23, 2021
Observation date: Aug 19, 2021
Submitted by: JudyLY
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 23, 2021
Observation date: Aug 20, 2021
Submitted by: JudyLY
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 22, 2021
Observation date: Jun 07, 2021
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 19, 2021
Observation date: Aug 16, 2021
Submitted by: JudyLY
Region: Otero County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 19, 2021
Observation date: Aug 15, 2021
Submitted by: Marta Reece
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 17, 2021
Observation date: Aug 11, 2021
Submitted by: JudyLY
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 13, 2021
Observation date: Aug 08, 2021
Submitted by: JudyLY
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 13, 2021
Observation date: Jun 19, 2021
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 11, 2021
Observation date: Aug 09, 2021
Submitted by: ButterflyGirl12
Region: Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 09, 2021
Observation date: Aug 04, 2021
Submitted by: bjones7777
Region: Fremont County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Aug 07, 2021
Observation date: Aug 01, 2021
Submitted by: Ron Klowden
Region: St. Lucie County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 05, 2021
Observation date: Jul 30, 2021
Submitted by: D Grimes
Region: Hernando County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 04, 2021
Observation date: Aug 02, 2021
Submitted by: Christinalea
Region: Texas, Wichita County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Aug 03, 2021
Observation date: Jul 30, 2021
Submitted by: JudyLY
Region: New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 01, 2021
Observation date: Jul 29, 2021
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 29, 2021
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