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 265 - 288 of 2236 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 29, 2021
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 30, 2021
Observation date: Jun 25, 2021
Submitted by: chneal
Region: Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 29, 2021
Observation date: Jun 22, 2021
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Colfax County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 29, 2021
Observation date: Jun 14, 2021
Submitted by: JudyLY
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 27, 2021
Observation date: Jun 14, 2021
Submitted by: JudyLY
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 27, 2021
Observation date: Jun 16, 2021
Submitted by: Will Anderson
Region: Natrona County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jun 27, 2021
Observation date: Jun 25, 2021
Submitted by: Mariatere
Region: Hillsborough County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 26, 2021
Observation date: Jun 24, 2021
Submitted by: Mariatere
Region: Hillsborough County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 26, 2021
Observation date: Jun 15, 2021
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 22, 2021
Observation date: Oct 16, 2020
Submitted by: twofried
Region: Taos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 17, 2021
Observation date: Jun 15, 2021
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Colfax County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 16, 2021
Observation date: May 22, 2021
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 05, 2021
Observation date: Jun 02, 2021
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 05, 2021
Observation date: May 20, 2021
Submitted by: LauraSea
Region: Nassau County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: May 29, 2021
Observation date: May 25, 2021
Submitted by: Mayaich17
Region: Faulkner County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: May 25, 2021
Observation date: May 09, 2021
Submitted by: guy_incognito
Region: Brewster County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: May 22, 2021
Observation date: May 15, 2021
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Sarasota County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: May 20, 2021
Observation date: May 16, 2021
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: May 20, 2021
Observation date: May 08, 2021
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: May 09, 2021
Observation date: Apr 29, 2021
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: May 01, 2021
Observation date: Apr 19, 2021
Submitted by: JudyLY
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Apr 28, 2021
Observation date: Apr 15, 2021
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 17, 2021
Observation date: Apr 10, 2021
Submitted by: Brynne Bryan
Region: Denton County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Apr 12, 2021
Observation date: Apr 04, 2021
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 06, 2021
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