Sleepy Orange
Abaeis nicippe (Cramer, 1779)
Family: Pieridae
Subfamily: Coliadinae
Identification: Upperside of wings orange in both sexes; orange-yellow form rare. Forewing with small black cell spot. Male with sharply defined black borders on outer and costal margins; female borders not so well-defined. In winter form, underside of hindwing is brick red, brown, or tan; in summer form it is orange-yellow.
Wing Span: 1 3/8 - 2 1/4 inches (3.5 - 5.7 cm).
Life History: Males patrol flats and gullies for females. Females lay eggs singly under host plant leaves. Caterpillars eat leaves. Dry season form overwinters and lays eggs in spring.
Flight: Four-five flights, all year long, in southern Texas and Deep South. Mid- to late summer in the north.
Caterpillar Hosts: Cassia species in the pea family (Fabaceae).
Adult Food: Nectar from many species of flowers, including shepherd's needle (Bidens pilosa).
Habitat: Low elevation areas including pine flats, fields, desert scrub, gardens, vacant lots, road edges, and washes.
Range: Central America north to along the United States-Mexico border; vagrant to non-mountainous parts of the eastern U. S. south of 40 latitude; rare stray to Ontario, Connecticut, South Dakota, and Colorado.
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.
Comments: NULL
Alternate Scientific Names:
Eurema nicippe
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 25 - 48 of 5275 verified sightings
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Observation date: Nov 29, 2023
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Nov 29, 2023
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Observation date: Nov 25, 2023
Submitted by: Erik Stabl
Region: Hillsborough County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 27, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_4188_3.jpg?itok=pVCqhTnG)
Observation date: Nov 24, 2023
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Nov 26, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_2575_10.jpg?itok=Q_hLk8fv)
Observation date: Nov 12, 2023
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Nov 17, 2023
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Observation date: Jun 17, 2023
Submitted by: J_Martineau
Region: Cochise County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Nov 02, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dsc_0042.jpeg?itok=8ka7VVmH)
Observation date: Sep 30, 2023
Submitted by: kimmyrn
Region: Lincoln County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Oct 16, 2023
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Observation date: Sep 12, 2023
Submitted by: camflies
Region: Cochise County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Oct 16, 2023
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Observation date: Oct 03, 2023
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Oct 12, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_7562.jpeg?itok=0iyQxkMW)
Observation date: Oct 02, 2023
Submitted by: Dobber31
Region: Benton County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Oct 03, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/2023_10_01_orange_sulphur_-_colias_eurytheme_butterfly_dsc06347.jpg?itok=5nI-_GXG)
Observation date: Oct 01, 2023
Submitted by: kye
Region: Greenville County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Oct 02, 2023
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Observation date: Sep 28, 2023
Submitted by: Barjones78
Region: Benton County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Sep 28, 2023
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Observation date: Sep 16, 2023
Submitted by: Cameala
Region: Juniata County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 18, 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
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Observation date: Sep 09, 2023
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 10, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dsc_1847-2.jpg?itok=2RfltHg_)
Observation date: Sep 06, 2023
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Cumberland County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Sep 06, 2023
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Observation date: Aug 29, 2023
Submitted by: AllyEd64
Region: Yadkin County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 30, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/sleepy_orange_primrose_crop.jpg?itok=SSs0m0QX)
Observation date: Aug 18, 2023
Submitted by: mkjohns212
Region: Baltimore County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 29, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/ad_2023-08-25_1728_72d2.jpg?itok=EfitviFA)
Observation date: Aug 25, 2023
Submitted by: Alison Davies
Region: Lexington County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 25, 2023
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Observation date: Apr 20, 2017
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/sleepy-orange-maybe-dscn1065-small.jpg?itok=ladqhigw)
Observation date: Aug 12, 2023
Submitted by: Janet Ruth
Region: Socorro County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 21, 2023
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Observation date: Aug 19, 2023
Submitted by: Alison Davies
Region: Lexington County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 20, 2023
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Observation date: Jul 22, 2023
Submitted by: bonfrey
Region: Socorro County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 18, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/sleepyorange_3_0.jpg?itok=sBxrQlrq)
Observation date: Jul 07, 2023
Submitted by: asombro_institute
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 17, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dscn1508.jpg?itok=hOcJa5n0)
Observation date: Aug 05, 2023
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Union County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 06, 2023
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