This sulphur has a wingspan of approximately 2 inches. Dorsally, males and females are bright yellow-orange with black borders on forewings and hindwings. Ventrally, the wings are orange, yellow or greenish yellow with a single or double red-rimmed spot in the hindwing cell, and a row of brown submarginal spots. Some albino females may be white in color with pink fringes on the wing edges. The very similar Clouded Sulphur has no orange in the wings and may also have albino females that are almost identical to albino Orange Sulphur females. The caterpillar has a green head and body and when mature is approximately 1 1/2 inches long. It has pink stripes low on the sides and white stripes higher on the sides, and is covered with short, light-colored hair.
This is the most common sulphur in Fontenelle Forest and Neale Woods. It can be seen nectaring on flowers from spring through the fall. They can also be seen “puddling” in moist soil after a rain or on the shore of the Great Marsh.
Another common name for this species is Alfalfa Butterfly. Host plants for the larvae are herbaceous legumes with alfalfa and white clover being preferred. The caterpillars feed at night.
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