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 97 - 120 of 2235 verified sightings
Observation date: Oct 20, 2022
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Adams County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Feb 12, 2023
Observation date: Oct 08, 2022
Submitted by: billd
Region: Garfield County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: Emily Geest
Verified date: Feb 06, 2023
Observation date: Oct 16, 2022
Submitted by: billd
Region: Garfield County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: Emily Geest
Verified date: Feb 06, 2023
Observation date: Sep 10, 2022
Submitted by: bonfrey
Region: Socorro County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Feb 05, 2023
Observation date: Oct 30, 2021
Submitted by: billd
Region: Garfield County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 20, 2022
Observation date: Jul 19, 2022
Submitted by: J_Martineau
Region: Cochise County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Dec 13, 2022
Observation date: Dec 10, 2022
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: De Baca County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Dec 12, 2022
Observation date: Nov 27, 2022
Submitted by: bonfrey
Region: Grant County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Dec 12, 2022
Observation date: Nov 01, 2022
Submitted by: billd
Region: Garfield County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Nov 04, 2022
Observation date: Oct 26, 2022
Submitted by: Martin Neil UK
Region: Yavapai County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Oct 29, 2022
Observation date: Oct 06, 2022
Submitted by: lilkriskattn
Region: Texas, Montague County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 23, 2022
Observation date: Oct 21, 2022
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 22, 2022
Observation date: Oct 22, 2022
Submitted by: Sheilabean
Region: Texas, Tarrant County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 22, 2022
Observation date: Oct 08, 2022
Submitted by: Sheilabean
Region: Texas, Tarrant County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 20, 2022
Observation date: Oct 13, 2022
Submitted by: L.Hale
Region: Texas, Lubbock County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 14, 2022
Observation date: Oct 02, 2022
Submitted by: bonfrey
Region: Socorro County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Oct 11, 2022
Observation date: Oct 09, 2021
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Lincoln County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 11, 2022
Observation date: Nov 01, 2021
Submitted by: hasfitz5
Region: Baja California Sur, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Oct 11, 2022
Observation date: Oct 31, 2021
Submitted by: hasfitz5
Region: Baja California Sur, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Oct 11, 2022
Observation date: Jul 15, 2017
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Chiapas, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Oct 11, 2022
Observation date: Oct 09, 2022
Submitted by: Seth Mueller
Region: San Bernardino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 09, 2022
Observation date: Oct 01, 2022
Submitted by: billd
Region: Blaine County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Oct 06, 2022
Observation date: Jul 15, 2022
Submitted by: Jonathan Clark
Region: Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Sep 25, 2022
Observation date: Oct 25, 2013
Submitted by: tjrickert
Region: Queretaro de Arteaga, Mexico
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 25, 2022
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