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 145 - 168 of 2236 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 13, 2020
Submitted by: James Steen
Region: Harper County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 04, 2022
Observation date: Dec 29, 2021
Submitted by: CaraLundquist
Region: Denton County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: May 31, 2022
Observation date: May 26, 2022
Submitted by: Nancy Hamlett
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 30, 2022
Observation date: Sep 08, 2021
Submitted by: James Steen
Region: Harvey County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: May 30, 2022
Observation date: May 22, 2022
Submitted by: camflies
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 25, 2022
Observation date: Apr 24, 2022
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Burnet County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: May 20, 2022
Observation date: Apr 25, 2022
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: May 20, 2022
Observation date: Apr 26, 2022
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 06, 2022
Observation date: May 03, 2022
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: May 05, 2022
Observation date: Apr 28, 2022
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 30, 2022
Observation date: Apr 20, 2022
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Apr 21, 2022
Observation date: Apr 21, 2022
Submitted by: mstanek
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Apr 21, 2022
Observation date: Aug 14, 2021
Submitted by: billd
Region: Garfield County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Apr 19, 2022
Observation date: Apr 17, 2022
Submitted by: billd
Region: Garfield County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Apr 18, 2022
Observation date: Apr 16, 2022
Submitted by: dlister
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Apr 17, 2022
Observation date: Apr 07, 2022
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 09, 2022
Observation date: Mar 30, 2022
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 01, 2022
Observation date: Mar 26, 2022
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 28, 2022
Observation date: Mar 03, 2022
Submitted by: Joceb2005
Region: Collier County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Mar 08, 2022
Observation date: Mar 06, 2022
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Mar 08, 2022
Observation date: Aug 07, 2021
Submitted by: Gordon Berman
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 08, 2022
Observation date: Feb 26, 2022
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Feb 26, 2022
Observation date: Jun 18, 2021
Submitted by: jamesvonloh
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Feb 07, 2022
Observation date: Jun 16, 2021
Submitted by: jamesvonloh
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Feb 07, 2022
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