Orange-barred Sulphur
Phoebis philea

Size:
Wingspan is 2 1/2 - 3 1/4 inches.

Similar Species:
Cloudless Sulphur

Habitat:
Gardens, parks, fields, forest edges and open woodlands.

Range/Abundance:
Accidental in coastal NC and VA. Reported once or twice a year in SC.

Flight Period:
Adults fly in late summer in our region.

Larval Host Plants:
Sennas Cassia spp.

Comments:
The flight is erratic, fast and usually high and it’s difficult to tell from the Cloudless Sulphur which shows more yellow in flight.

The males are usually a bright yellow with orange barring along the wings edges. The females are usually much more orange like the worn one at right, which I also watched laying eggs. To watch these huge sulphurs in flight is really something to watch and yes they are noticeably larger than a Cloudless Sulphur in flight.

All photos were taken at the Carolina Pavilion Butterfly House in Durham, NC on June 13, 2000.

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