The Dainty Sulphur, also known as the dwarf yellow butterfly, is the smallest sulphur species native to North America. Its upper wings are a bright lemon yellow, accented by black-tipped forewings and a dark bar along the forewing edge. Males feature a distinctive orange-red scent patch within the dark hindwing bar, while females have orange-yellow hindwings with more pronounced black markings. The underside of the hindwings is yellow with soft greenish mottling, providing effective camouflage among low vegetation.

 

“Dainty Sulphur” by Ken Slade, licensed under (CC BY-NC 2.0)

 

Dainty Sulphur Facts

Butterfly Family: Whites and Sulphurs (Pieridae)

Butterfly Subfamily: Coliadinae

Butterfly Wingspan: 3/4 – 1 1/4 inches

Butterfly Habitat: Open, dry places including coastal flats, weedy fields, grasslands, road edges, meadows, and hillsides

 

🪴 Host Plants

These are the plants where females lay eggs and caterpillars feed:

• Carpetweed (Mollugo verticillata)

• Pigweed (Amaranthus spp.)

 

🌸 Nectar Plants

Adult Dainty Sulphur butterflies feed on nectar from a variety of native flowers:

• Asters (Symphyotrichum spp.)

• Blanket Flower (Gaillardia pulchella)

• Fogfruit (Phyla nodiflora)

• Goldenrod (Solidago spp.)

• Purple Prairie Clover (Dalea purpurea)

• Sneezeweed (Helenium autumnale)

• Tickseed (Coreopsis spp.)

• Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)