The Orange Sulphur is a widespread and familiar butterfly across North America, commonly seen in open habitats like fields, roadsides, and meadows. It’s relatively small, with bright yellow-orange wings lightly dusted with blue-brown spots and edged in a delicate pink border. Females often have small white or silvery spots on the underside of their wings, adding to their subtle beauty.

 

“Orange Sulphur – Blanket Flower“, by Ken Slade, licensed under (CC BY-NC 2.0)

 

Orange Sulphur Facts

Butterfly Family: Whites and Sulphurs (Pieridae)

Butterfly Subfamily: Coliadinae

Butterfly Wingspan: 1 3/8 – 2 3/4 inches

Butterfly Habitat: A wide variety of open sites, especially clover and alfalfa fields, mowed fields, vacant lots, meadows, and road edges

 

🪴 Host Plants

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

• Alfalfa (Medicago sativa)

• Clover (Trifolium spp.)

• Garden Vetch (Vicia sativa)

• Vetch (Vicia spp.)

• Wild Indigo (Baptisia spp.)

 

🌸 Nectar Plants

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

• Asters (Symphyotrichum spp.)

• Blazing Star (Liatris spp.)

• Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)

• Clover (Trifolium spp.)

• Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)

• Goldenrod (Solidago spp.)

• Ironweed (Vernonia spp.)

• Joe-Pye Weed (Eutrochium purpureum)

• Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum spp.)

• Phlox (Phlox paniculata or P. divaricata)

• Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

• Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

• Wild Quinine (Parthenium integrifolium)

• Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)