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 169 - 192 of 2236 verified sightings
Observation date: Oct 30, 2021
Submitted by: jamesvonloh
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Feb 07, 2022
Observation date: Aug 16, 2021
Submitted by: jamesvonloh
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Feb 07, 2022
Observation date: Jan 19, 2022
Submitted by: dbryant562
Region: Sarasota County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jan 28, 2022
Observation date: Aug 18, 2021
Submitted by: jamesvonloh
Region: New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jan 10, 2022
Observation date: Dec 23, 2021
Submitted by: jamesvonloh
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jan 04, 2022
Observation date: Dec 05, 2021
Submitted by: guy_incognito
Region: Eddy County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Dec 14, 2021
Observation date: Dec 04, 2021
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Dec 07, 2021
Observation date: Nov 26, 2021
Submitted by: J Tinsman
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Dec 05, 2021
Observation date: Nov 27, 2021
Submitted by: J Tinsman
Region: Maricopa County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Dec 05, 2021
Observation date: Dec 04, 2021
Submitted by: Janet Ruth
Region: Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Dec 04, 2021
Observation date: Dec 01, 2021
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Dec 04, 2021
Observation date: Nov 21, 2021
Submitted by: J Tinsman
Region: Apache County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Dec 03, 2021
Observation date: Nov 27, 2021
Submitted by: Joshua C
Region: Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Dec 01, 2021
Observation date: Nov 26, 2021
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Dec 01, 2021
Observation date: Nov 27, 2021
Submitted by: mstanek
Region: San Bernardino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Nov 28, 2021
Observation date: Nov 08, 2021
Submitted by: wolfoest
Region: Texas, Lubbock County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Nov 22, 2021
Observation date: Aug 10, 2021
Submitted by: Paul Prappas
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Nov 21, 2021
Observation date: Oct 31, 2021
Submitted by: bonfrey
Region: Socorro County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 15, 2021
Observation date: Oct 31, 2021
Submitted by: bonfrey
Region: Socorro County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 15, 2021
Observation date: Oct 31, 2021
Submitted by: bonfrey
Region: Socorro County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 14, 2021
Observation date: Oct 28, 2021
Submitted by: Janet Ruth
Region: Luna County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 14, 2021
Observation date: Nov 12, 2021
Submitted by: J Tinsman
Region: Lincoln County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Nov 13, 2021
Observation date: Nov 08, 2021
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 13, 2021
Observation date: Oct 20, 2021
Submitted by: robtluke@aol.com
Region: Lincoln County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 13, 2021
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