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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) » Kricogonia » Lyside Sulphur - Hodges#4235 (Kricogonia lyside)

Species Kricogonia lyside - Lyside Sulphur - Hodges#4235

Classification · Hodges Number · Synonyms and other taxonomic changes · Numbers · Identification · Range · Habitat · Season · Food · Life Cycle · Remarks · Print References · Internet References · Works Cited

unknown butterfly - Kricogonia lyside - male

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 Kricogonia

Species lyside (Lyside Sulphur - Hodges#4235)

Hodges Number

4235

Synonyms and other taxonomic changes

Orig. Comb: Colias lyside Godart 1819

Numbers

1 Nearctic sp. (second sp. in Cuba)

Identification

Extremely variable in both size and appearance. Varies from white to yellow. (1)

Prominent whitened vein running through hindwing may be visible:

Also note yellow at base of forewings

Range

Common in SE AZ and south Texas, but ranges CA-LA-NE-CO, FL (BAMONA Map) / Gr. Antilles / Mex. to Venezuela

Habitat

Tropical and subtropical scrub (1)

Season

Mainly Apr-Nov in south Texas (1)

Food

Texas: Guayacan - Guaiacum angustifolium (=Porlieria angustifolia) (Zygophyllaceae) - Range - USDA Plants Database

Florida: Guaiacum sanctum - Range - USDA Plants Database

Arizona: Host unknown (2)

Life Cycle

Able to go from egg to adult in 13 days in the heat of the summer! (3)

Life Cycle Study - Jan Dauphin, The Rio Grande Valley's Nature Site

Life History Photos - Berry Nall's Butterfly Photos

Remarks

This species, along with the American Snout, is renowned for frequent mass flights across south Texas and less so in the southwest. These mass movements appear to be induced by an extensive drought followed by heavy, widespread rains which induce the production of fresh leaves on the butterfly's host plant. The drought evidently serves to knock back the insect predators and parasites so the butterfly caterpillars enjoy an unusually high survivorship. See review by Gilbert (1985).

Print References

Byers, G.W. 1971. A migration of Kricogonia castalia (Pieridae) in northern Mexico. Journal of the Lepidopterists’ Society 25(2): 124-125. Full PDF

Clench, H.K. 1965. A migration of Libytheana and Kricogonia in southern Texas. Journal Lepidopterists’ Society 19(4): 223-224. Full PDF

Gilbert, L.E. 1985. Ecological factors which influence migratory behavior in two butterflies of the semi-arid shrublands of South Texas. Pp. 724-747 in: M.A. Rankin. (editor). Migration: Mechanisms and Adaptive Significance. Contributions in Marine Science Supplement Vol. 27. Marine Science Institute, Port Aransas. (4)

Howe, W.H. 1964. Migration of Kricogonia lyside in Mexico (Pieridae). Journal of the Lepidopterists’ Society 18(1): 26. Full PDF

Welling, E.C. 1973. A massive migration of Kricogonia (Pieridae) in Campeche, Mexico. Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society 27(2): 154-155. Full PDF

Internet References

BAMONA

Works Cited

1.	Butterflies Through Binoculars: The West : A Field Guide to the Butterflies of Western North America (Butterflies and Others Thr Jeffrey Glassberg. 2001. Oxford University Press.

2.	Butterflies of Arizona: A Photographic Guide Stewart et al. 2001. West Coast Lady Press, Arcata, CA. ii + 415 pp.

3.	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.

4.	Ecological factors which influence migratory behavior in two butterflies of the semi-arid shrublands of South Texas. Gilbert, L.E. 1985. Marine Science Institute, Port Aransas. 27: 724-747.

Contributed by tom murray on 17 September, 2005 - 12:10pm
Additional contributions by Mike Quinn, Nick Block
Last updated 2 October, 2020 - 3:22pm

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