ORANGE-BARRED SULFUR (Phoebis philea)

Flight Period: Mutiple brooded in warm climates. Males are yellow with a horizontal orange bar on the upper forewing and a patch of orange on the lower hindwing. Females are large yellow-orange butterflies with prominent dark spots along the upper forewing. Some females are albinic (white).

Range: Resident of Florida, Central Mexico and south to Argentina. Migrants appear sometimes along the Gulf States, in eastern Arizona and in New Mexico along the border. During dry years, some migrate to the Northeast. Since 2004, the orrange-barred sulfur has been considered a transient resident of Southern California.

Host Plant: Senna (Cassia spp.).

Wing Span: 2 3/4 - 3 1/4” (70 - 83 mm).