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 337 - 360 of 2236 verified sightings
Observation date: May 03, 2020
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: May 19, 2020
Observation date: May 13, 2020
Submitted by: Cardinal52
Region: St. Johns County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: May 13, 2020
Observation date: May 09, 2020
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Sarasota County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: May 09, 2020
Observation date: May 09, 2020
Submitted by: Diane R Halpin
Region: Levy County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: May 09, 2020
Observation date: Apr 27, 2020
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 27, 2020
Observation date: Apr 20, 2020
Submitted by: Englishman
Region: Pinellas County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 21, 2020
Observation date: Mar 17, 2020
Submitted by: Silverity
Region: Texas, Wilson County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Apr 17, 2020
Observation date: Apr 07, 2020
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 08, 2020
Observation date: Apr 05, 2020
Submitted by: Bob Herrmann
Region: Cochise County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Apr 05, 2020
Observation date: Mar 23, 2020
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Charlotte County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Mar 24, 2020
Observation date: Mar 20, 2020
Submitted by: Michael Weisensee
Region: Charlotte County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Mar 21, 2020
Observation date: Mar 12, 2020
Submitted by: loyallonghorn
Region: Texas, Randall County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Mar 17, 2020
Observation date: Feb 24, 2020
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Feb 25, 2020
Observation date: Oct 07, 2012
Submitted by: Jay Cossey
Region: Martin County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: Howell_Curtis
Verified date: Feb 12, 2020
Observation date: Apr 18, 2005
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Maricopa County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Feb 07, 2020
Observation date: Jul 13, 2012
Submitted by: Jay Cossey
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Feb 05, 2020
Observation date: Jun 02, 2019
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Chase County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Feb 05, 2020
Observation date: Apr 16, 2005
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Maricopa County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Feb 02, 2020
Observation date: Aug 27, 2019
Submitted by: Joey Bom
Region: Grand County, Utah, United States
Verified by: RaisingButterfl...
Verified date: Feb 02, 2020
Observation date: Sep 29, 2019
Submitted by: A_baldini
Region: Larimer County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: A_baldini
Verified date: Jan 30, 2020
Observation date: Mar 13, 2019
Submitted by: stevecary
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Jan 22, 2020
Observation date: Jan 09, 2020
Submitted by: Eric Wood
Region: Texas, Starr County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Jan 20, 2020
Observation date: Dec 28, 2019
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jan 03, 2020
Observation date: Sep 21, 2019
Submitted by: A_baldini
Region: Larimer County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: A_baldini
Verified date: Dec 30, 2019
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