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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Butterflies and Skippers (Papilionoidea) » Whites, Sulphurs, Yellows (Pieridae) » Sulphurs and Yellows (Coliadinae) » Phoebis » Large Orange Sulphur - Hodges#4231 (Phoebis agarithe)

Species Phoebis agarithe - Large Orange Sulphur - Hodges#4231

Classification · Hodges Number · Size · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · See Also · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited
Unknown chrysalis.. - Phoebis agarithe - female Phoebis caterpillars? - Phoebis agarithe Phoebis caterpillars? - Phoebis agarithe Moth or Butterfly - Phoebis agarithe Butterfly - Phoebis agarithe Butterfly - Phoebis agarithe large orange sulphur laying egg on powder puff/Calliandra inaequilatera (aka Calliandra haematocephala) and Photo of egg. - Phoebis agarithe - female Unidentified butterfly chrysalis - Phoebis agarithe
Show images of: caterpillars · adults · both
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
Superfamily Papilionoidea (Butterflies and Skippers)
Family Pieridae (Whites, Sulphurs, Yellows)
Subfamily Coliadinae (Sulphurs and Yellows)
Genus Phoebis
Species agarithe (Large Orange Sulphur - Hodges#4231)
Hodges Number
4231
Size
Wing span: 2 1/4 - 3 3/8 inches (5.7 - 8.6 cm).
Identification
Upper surface of male bright orange with no markings. Two female forms, pink-white or yellow-orange. Underside forewing of both sexes with straight submarginal line. Two seasonal forms; winter form has heavier underside markings.

Caterpillar is green with a pale yellow line on the sides. Lacks the short spikes of Phoebis pilea and Phoebis sennae.
Range
Peru north to southern Texas and peninsular Florida. Rare stray to Colorado, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and New Jersey.
Habitat
Open, tropical lowlands including gardens, pastures, road edges, trails, parks.
Season
Flies all year in south Texas and south Florida, strays north in mid- to late summer
Food
Caterpillar hosts: Pithecellobium, Inga, (and Cassia?) species in the pea family (Fabaceae).

Adult food: Nectar from many different flowers.
See Also
Cloudless Sulphur, Phoebis sennae
Orange-barred Sulphur, Phoebis philea
Print References
Glassberg, p. 60, plates 11, 12 (1)
Brock and Kaufman, pp. 74-75 (2)
Scott, #51, pp. 204-205, color plates 12, 13 (3)
Allen et al., pp. 44-45--photo of caterpillar (4)
Minno et al., pp. 170 - 171, p.79 (5)
Internet References
Butterflies of America - comprehensive species account.
Dallas County Lepidopterists' Society - species page.
Butterflies and Moths of North America
Carolinanature.com
Works Cited
1.Butterflies Through Binoculars: The East
Jeffrey Glassberg. 1999. Oxford University Press.
2.Butterflies of North America (Kaufman Focus Guides)
Jim P. Brock, Kenn Kaufman. 2003. Houghton Mifflin Co.
3.The Butterflies of North America: A Natural History and Field Guide
James A. Scott. 1992. Stanford University Press.
4.Caterpillars in the Field and Garden: A Field Guide to the Butterfly Caterpillars of North America
Thomas J. Allen, James P. Brock, Jeffrey Glassberg. 2005. Oxford University Press.
5.Florida Butterfly Caterpillars And Their Host Plants
Marc C. Minno, JERRY F. BUTLER, DONALD W. HALL. 2005. University Press Florida.
Contributed by Cotinis on 13 March, 2005 - 5:01pm
Additional contributions by Hannah Nendick-Mason, Steve Nanz, Matthew Roth, Maury Heiman
Last updated 2 July, 2017 - 7:33am

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