Clouded Sulphur Butterfly - Colias philodice
Superfamily: Papilionoidea / Family: Pieridae - Whites and Sulphurs / Subfamily: Coliadinae - Sulphurs
Live adult Sulphur butterflies photographed at DuPage County, Illinois, USA.
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Clouded Sulphur Male nectaring on red clover, July 3rd, 2010 near Chicago

The Common Sulphur Butterfly is popularly known as the Clouded Sulphur. These butterflies are known to hybridize with the Orange Sulphur, and specimens are very difficult to tell apart in the field. The Northern Illinois Butterfly Monitor Network treats these as one species for counting purposes.

Habitat: Meadows and fields; almost any open spaces, parks and pastures. Flight: Several broods March to December in south.
Range: North America except most of Florida. Life Cycle: Eggs are chartreuse, laid singly on various legumes, especially clovers (Trifolium). Caterpillar bright green with darker stripe on back, lighter green stripe on side. Green chrysalis overwinters. These butterflies are some of the most abundant here in the American midwest. Sometimes they outnumber even the Cabbage White Butterfly.


 

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Common, or Clouded Sulphur Butterfly
 
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