Dainty Sulphur
Nathalis iole Boisduval, 1836
Family: Pieridae
Subfamily: Coliadinae
Identification: Small, with elongated forewings. Upperside yellow with black markings, female with more extensive black than male. White form very rare. Underside of forewing with orange or yellow patch at base of wing and black spots at outer wing edge. Winter form has dusty green hindwing, summer form hindwing is pale yellow.
Wing Span: 3/4 - 1 1/4 inches (2 - 3.2 cm).
Life History: Males patrol a few inches above the ground in low areas for females. Females lay eggs singly on leaves of host plant seedlings. Adults rest with wings closed and held perpendicular to the sun's rays to warm themselves.
Flight: Throughout the year in peninsular Florida and South Texas. After overwintering as adults in the South, some migrate north in spring and summer. Flight of about 6 months in the north.
Caterpillar Hosts: Low-growing plants in the aster family (Asteraceae) especially shepherd's needle (Bidens pilosa), sneezeweed (Helenium), fetid marigold (Dyssodia), and cultivated marigold (Tagetes).
Adult Food: Nectars at Labrador tea, asters, wild marigold, rabbitbrush, and others.
Habitat: Open, dry places including coastal flats, weedy fields, grasslands, road edges, meadows, and hillsides.
Range: Resident in Guatemala north to peninsular Florida and the Southwest. Cannot survive cold winters, therefore every summer re-colonizes through the Great Plains to southeast Washington, southeast Idaho, Wyoming, and Minnesota.
Conservation: Not usually required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 25 - 48 of 2204 verified sightings
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/nathalis_iole_1_dainty_sulphur_2.jpg?itok=bVZRABiV)
Observation date: Nov 15, 2023
Submitted by: hasfitz5
Region: Baja California Sur, Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Dec 12, 2023
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Observation date: Dec 06, 2023
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Union County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Dec 07, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dscn4642_2.jpg?itok=k6haP2gT)
Observation date: Dec 05, 2023
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Monroe County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 05, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_5400_3.jpg?itok=Ka_ifopY)
Observation date: Nov 30, 2023
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Dec 01, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/6fcb7db4-68b8-4ce1-bb62-9b75ffd32951.jpeg?itok=dWmlH63u)
Observation date: Sep 01, 1999
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Stearns County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Nov 25, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dsc01555.jpg?itok=5szuoKIP)
Observation date: Nov 13, 2023
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Union County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 15, 2023
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Observation date: Nov 06, 2023
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 15, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_5668_0.jpeg?itok=m7lzwAYQ)
Observation date: Oct 28, 2023
Submitted by: Tdloyd
Region: Davidson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Oct 30, 2023
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Observation date: Oct 20, 2023
Submitted by: James Steen
Region: Harvey County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Oct 20, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dsc_7566_2.jpg?itok=f2MdT-bq)
Observation date: Sep 11, 2023
Submitted by: camflies
Region: Cochise County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Oct 16, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dainty_sulphur_el_morro_maki.jpg?itok=Bxs5usaX)
Observation date: Oct 02, 2023
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Cibola County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Oct 16, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dainty_sulphur_maki_oklahoma.jpg?itok=lWcy8E7N)
Observation date: Oct 03, 2023
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Cimarron County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: Emily Geest
Verified date: Oct 16, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_5150.jpeg?itok=t3tOw9df)
Observation date: Oct 01, 2023
Submitted by: Tdloyd
Region: Sumner County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Oct 01, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_1406_1.jpeg?itok=iPFXX6ZU)
Observation date: Jul 11, 2023
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: El Paso County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Sep 20, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/daintysulfur071923singingriverisx_1.jpg?itok=-SlNFiBB)
Observation date: Aug 19, 2023
Submitted by: Lisahug
Region: Jackson County, Mississippi, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Sep 14, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dainty_1.jpeg?itok=1Yaq4mOw)
Observation date: Apr 26, 2021
Submitted by: ridgeboy
Region: Polk County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 13, 2023
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Observation date: Sep 10, 2023
Submitted by: James Steen
Region: Harper County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Sep 10, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dainty_sulphur_27.jpg?itok=gsYbEISs)
Observation date: Aug 30, 2023
Submitted by: matt johnstone
Region: Leon County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Sep 01, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/large_27_0.jpeg?itok=wx3TayEL)
Observation date: Jul 02, 2020
Submitted by: Robb Hannawacker
Region: San Juan County, Utah, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 21, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dsc_9246.jpg?itok=TP6JbryO)
Observation date: Aug 18, 2023
Submitted by: terrymortier
Region: Crawford County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 20, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dainty3.png?itok=gW59yMo7)
Observation date: Jul 31, 2023
Submitted by: Zencoyote
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 03, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dainty_sul_maki_wl.jpg?itok=IkArVJd_)
Observation date: Jul 23, 2023
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Yavapai County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Aug 01, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dscn1224.jpg?itok=6YiWG_xy)
Observation date: Jul 23, 2023
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Colfax County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 25, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dainty_sulphur_sf_sk_7-8-23.jpg?itok=UAJmrc6b)
Observation date: Jul 08, 2023
Submitted by: Russ Wigh
Region: Chatham County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Jul 21, 2023
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