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 217 - 240 of 2236 verified sightings
Observation date: Oct 05, 2021
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Colfax County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Oct 06, 2021
Observation date: Oct 03, 2021
Submitted by: Blue Swallowtail
Region: Adams County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: Emily Geest
Verified date: Oct 03, 2021
Observation date: Aug 29, 2021
Submitted by: Joshua C
Region: Sandoval County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Oct 03, 2021
Observation date: Sep 13, 2021
Submitted by: bonfrey
Region: Socorro County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Oct 01, 2021
Observation date: Sep 23, 2021
Submitted by: pkondrashov
Region: Macon County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Sep 27, 2021
Observation date: Sep 13, 2021
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 24, 2021
Observation date: Sep 11, 2021
Submitted by: erinlale
Region: Clark County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 23, 2021
Observation date: Aug 13, 2021
Submitted by: joanfiller
Region: Jefferson County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Sep 23, 2021
Observation date: Sep 15, 2021
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Colfax County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 20, 2021
Observation date: Sep 16, 2021
Submitted by: dlister
Region: Gage County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: Emily Geest
Verified date: Sep 19, 2021
Observation date: Sep 10, 2021
Submitted by: JudyLY
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 12, 2021
Observation date: Sep 11, 2021
Submitted by: guy_incognito
Region: San Bernardino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 11, 2021
Observation date: Nov 21, 2017
Submitted by: ncrosbyrd
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Sep 11, 2021
Observation date: Apr 02, 2019
Submitted by: Mark Salvato
Region: Brewster County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Sep 11, 2021
Observation date: Sep 08, 2021
Submitted by: JudyLY
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 10, 2021
Observation date: Sep 10, 2021
Submitted by: J Tinsman
Region: Clark County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 10, 2021
Observation date: Sep 04, 2021
Submitted by: Marta Reece
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 10, 2021
Observation date: Aug 14, 2021
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Sep 10, 2021
Observation date: Aug 29, 2021
Submitted by: tjay13
Region: Roosevelt County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 10, 2021
Observation date: Aug 28, 2021
Submitted by: JudyLY
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 09, 2021
Observation date: Jul 31, 2021
Submitted by: tjay13
Region: Socorro County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 09, 2021
Observation date: Aug 01, 2021
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Sep 08, 2021
Observation date: Sep 03, 2021
Submitted by: Blue Swallowtail
Region: Hall County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: Emily Geest
Verified date: Sep 07, 2021
Observation date: Sep 02, 2021
Submitted by: Bill Uttenweiler
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 02, 2021
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