Identification
Adult: small, weak-flying, yellow or white above. Female whitish to yellow; male always has a yellow forewing and usually yellow upper hindwing, but white upper hindwing in southern portion of range. Male has a black bar along the upper forewing lower margin. Female may also have a bar especially in summer form, but often reduced to a trace. Winter form is darker, suffused with rusty brown.
Range
Southeastern United States, west to Louisiana and southern Texas, north to South Carolina.
Habitat
Disturbed open or brushy areas: roadsides, fields, gardens, sparse woodlands.
Season
Adults fly throughout the year in the far south; late summer and fall as a vagrant.
Food
Larvae feed on
pencilflower (
Stylosanthes spp.),
jointvetch (
Aeschynomene spp.), and other herbaceous legumes.
Adults sip flower nectar and mud.
