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Family Pieridae - Whites, Sulphurs, Yellows

Orange-Barred Sulphur - Phoebis philea Southwestern Orangetip Butterfly - Anthocharis thoosa - female butterfly - Neophasia menapia Pontia protodice - female Colias eurytheme ? - Colias eurytheme Colias meadii - male Colias alexandra - female GA October Dog - Zerene cesonia
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)
Other Common Names
Pierids
Numbers
~60 spp. in 16 genera in our area, ~1,100 spp. in ~80 genera total
Identification
Adults, medium to small wings white, yellow, or orange, with some black or red; many have hidden ultraviolet patterns used in courtship.
Food
larval hosts are mostly Brassicaceae; for most Sulphurs, Fabaceae
Life Cycle
There may be more than one generation per year. Females lay columnar eggs on leaves, buds or stems. Usually overwinter as larvae or pupae.