Whites and Sulphurs (Pieridae)

These are photos of Whites and Sulphurs (Pieridae). Click on a thumbnail to see the full size picture and description. Once there, you may click one of the arrows to navigate to the next photo, or press “escape” to return.

Sleepy Oranges and Cloudless Sulphurs are common in my garden. The first Sleepy Orange photo was one of those chance photos – I just happened to press the button as it was taking off and got this picture with full spread. The next few are one that I raised from a caterpillar. The final Sleepy Orange shows how they fade as they get worn.

The Little Yellow was a first for me. It was smaller than a Sleepy Orange, and a yellowish-white color. It fluttered through my garden, catching my eye, then moved on to the hill on the backside of my yard. It was very interested in the wild pea-family plants on the hill near my garden. That’s their larval host plant, so this may be a female. It also enjoyed nectaring on this wild yellow composite flower.

The photos of the female Cloudless Sulphur really show her pronounced markings and the pink edge on her wings as compared to the male. The last one shows a female nectaring on Pineapple Sage. It’s a beautiful contrast!