Clouded Sulphur

Order: Lepidoptera

Family: Pieridae

Genus: Colias

Species: C. philodice

Identifying Characteristics:

-The upper side of the male's wings is yellow with black borders. The upper side of the female's wings is either yellow or greenish-white with yellow- or white-spotted black borders. The underside of the male's wings is yellow while the female's is yellow or greenish-white, and both have a double hind wing spot trimmed in brownish-red. Its wingspan 32 to 54 mm

Special Adaptations:

-This butterfly may be encountered in fields, lawns, Alfalfa or Clover fields, meadows, and roadsides. Swarms of these butterflies will congregate at mud puddles.

-Clouded Sulphurs nectar at flowers such as Milkweed, Butterfly Bush, Coneflower, Alfalfa, Dandelion, Clover, and Tall verbena and many more

-The pale yellow eggs are laid singly on the host plants. The eggs turn red after a few days, then turn gray just before they hatch. The young larvae will eat one another. The larva is green with a white stripe running along each side of the body. The white stripes may contain bars or lines of pink or orange. The green chrysalis hangs up right by a silken girdle. Just beforeeclosion, the chrysalis turns yellow with a pink "zipper".