Orange-Barred Sulphur

The Orange-barred Sulphur (Phoebis philea) is a large, fast-flying yellow butterfly with patches of bright orange on the topsides of its wings. Orange-barred Sulphurs have a wingspan of 2 3/4-3 1/4" with males having darker orange patches than the females. In summer, females may appear considerably more white or pale yellow in color which is common among many species of sulphur butterflies. This species, a member of Pieridae family, is common throughout Florida and Texas but may stray as far north as New York and Nebraska.

Females lay elongated spindle-shaped eggs on cassias, including Cassia bicapsularis and Cassia Bahama Cassia (Senna mexicana var. chapmanii). Eggs may be clustered fairly closely together, especially on newer growth.

Caterpillars are green with lateral bands of black with yellow below and the larvae have black dots and hairs. When the caterpillars consume the flowers of their hosts, the caterpillars often appear as bright yellow in color rather than overall green. Young caterpillars often lay laterally along the center vein of the leaf or along the stem, making them extremely difficult to spot.

The pupa resembles the shape of an unopened leaf or seed pod, and is suspended from a silk sling. These chrysalids can be quite variable in color; though generally green, they can also be yellow or pink.  Shortly before emerging, the wing spots and anatomical structures of the developing butterfly become increasingly visible through the pupal skin. Often, the emergence of the butterfly can be predicted based upon the coloration of the chrysalis and the butterfly inside.