• Butterflies
• Dragonflies
• Damselflies
• Tiger beetles
• Hike with Mike

• The butterflies:
• Whites and Sulphurs
  • Whites
  • Sulphurs
• Sulphurs
  • Clouded Sulphur
  • Orange Sulphur
  • Pink-edged Sulphur
  • Southern Dogface
  • Cloudless Sulphur
  • Orange-barred Sulphur
  • Large Orange Sulphur
  • Mexican Yellow
  • Little Yellow
  • Sleepy Orange
  • Dainty Sulphur

Clouded Sulphur

(Colias philodice)

The Clouded Sulphur is very common butterfly in Wisconsin. It can be found in early spring until late fall, with multiple broods that seem to peak in numbers in August. Here in central Wisconsin, it is common to see fields teeming with 100s and even 1000s of these butterflies. Check out the Quicktime movie of this that I took in Marquette County.

Identifying characteristics: Above the wings are yellow with black marginal borders. The males have a solid black border while the females have yellow spots in the border. Unfortunately, this butterfly rarely lands with its wings open. Below the wings are a yellowish color with a faint row of small black marginal spots, very evident in the second photo, and a double central spot. Some females of this species and the Orange Sulphur are white instead of yellow.

Similar species: White females of this species and the Orange Sulphur are nearly impossible to separate into species in the field. To confuse things even more these two species do hybridize. Below the Orange and Clouded Sulphurs are very similar, but orange on the top of the wing of the Orange Sulphur is very evident in flight, especially summer individuals which seem to have more orange. Pink-edged Sulphurs could also be confused with this species. Below the Pink-edged Sulphurs lack the faint row of black marginal spots and have just a single central spot.

Recent Clouded Sulphur Sightings

Date seen	County	Reported by
Thursday	Dane	Joan Braune
Thursday	Sauk	Ann Thering
Wednesday	Waushara	Mike Reese, David Reese
Monday	Dane	Jorgen Goderstad
Monday	Iowa	Ann Thering
05–10–2008	Sauk	Ann Thering and Dave Eide
05–06–2008	Dane	Ann Thering
05–04–2008	Walworth	Mike Reese
05–04–2008	Iowa	Ann Thering and Dave Eide

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