The Clouded Sulphur butterfly (Colias philodice) is a medium-sized yellow North American butterfly which may be seen in the Adirondack Mountains in upstate New York throughout summer.It is also called the Common Sulfur. Common/Clouded and Orange. First, the only real difference between the Clouded and Orange Sulphur is the presence of more orange on the top of the wing for Orange Sulphurs. We have associated the following descriptors / identifiers to this insect: . The extent of the markings on the lower side varies, with females more heavily marked and some males virtually unmarked. My experience in the Southwest, is that the Orange Sulphur behaves more as if a native, and is more likely to turn up anywhere, including wild habitats, than the Clouded Sulphur. But the Orange Sulphur generally has some orange in the wing color, while Clouded is purely yellow, often a … Photo by and courtesy of Alan Schmierer. Clouded Sulphur Butterfly. Cloudless Sulphurs are prolific in the southern U.S. and Mexico where they can produce 3 or 4 broods a year. 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 in summer individuals which seem to have more orange. The Clouded Sulphur Butterfly is also known by the name(s) of: Common Sulphur. The Orange Sulphur, Clouded Sulphur and Southern Dogface all have similar markings, a black spot on the forewing and a white/silver spot with a red ring on the hindwing. Puddles are a great spot to watch for these guys. They migrate to the north every year where the cold weather limits them to 1 or 2 broods before returning south. The Clouded Sulphur butterfly (Colias philodice) is a common, widely distributed species in the United States. Identification: Upper surface of male wings bright, clear yellow with solid black edging; lower side of forewing with some dark submarginal spots; hindwing with silver cell spot rimmed with orange-pink, usually doubled. Colias philodice), which is the common yellow butterfly of the Eastern United States. Both the Clouded Sulphur and Orange Sulphur are medium-sized butterflies, with rounded wings; the Clouded Sulphur is a lemon yellow, whlle the Orange sulphur is orange. Female Clouded Sulphurs have colors that range from bright yellow to greenish-white. Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae) Cloudless Sulphur cdn.butterflyatlas.org The Cloudless Sulphur Butterfly is a species of medium-sized, bright yellow butterflies that are spread across a large area covering the two Americas, in three different subspecies. The Clouded Sulphur is a very common butterfly in Wisconsin. The cloudless sulphur is larger than other Missouri sulphurs. However, a DNA sample would be the only way to verify this ID. Often there are so many moving around I have to take pictures and then count them when I get home. Similar to the Orange Sulphur. The Clouded Sulphur and Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme) are often difficult to distinguish. Female has 2 forms: yellow form with uneven black edging enclosing yellow spots, and a white form which is greenish-white rather than yellow. Clouded Sulphur Colias philodice. They are very closely related and they do hybridize. Size: 1.5" - 2.5" Host plants: alfalfa, clover, vetch. Hybridization occurs when Clouded Sulphur populations reach very high densities and female Orange Sulphurs are overwhelmed by numbers of male Clouded Sulphurs or when female Orange Sulphurs have just emerged from the chrysalis and their ability to discern the differences between the two species is insufficiently developed (Scott, 1986). The Clouded Sulphur Butterfly is typically 1.3 inches to 2.0 inches (35mm to 51mm) in size. The more extensive black edges on sulphurs in flight should prevent confusion with Cabbage White. Clouded Sulphur Butterfly. Clouded Sulphur (Colias philodice), male Nelson Lake Marsh, Kane County, Illinois August 7, 2004 . Sulfur vs. Sulphur. White females of this species and the Clouded Sulphur are nearly impossible to differentiate in the field. Most pierid butterflies are white, yellow or orange in coloration, often with black spots. Most North Carolina butterfly enthusiasts spend a lifetime trying to differentiate between the Clouded Sulphur, Orange Sulphur and Cloudless Sulphur. This butterfly was flying with 2 others that were pure yellow, they showed no orange. Sulphur (also spelled sulfur) is a yellow nonmetal that is often associated with a rotten egg smell. Some females of Clouded Sulphur and Orange Sulphur are quite whitish instead of yellow or orange, especially on the topside seen in flight. The butterfly takes after this element's color, not its odor. ... Any one of numerous species of yellow or orange butterflies of the subfamily Pierinæ; as, the clouded sulphur (Eurymus philodice syn. So, it is placed here as a Clouded Sulphur. Common/Clouded and Orange Sulphurs (Colias philodice and C. eurytheme) are the most common Sulphurs in southeastern Wisconsin. Clouded Sulphur: Identification The off white Clouded Sulphur females (dorsal side is white) are inseparable from off white Orange Sulphurs. The dorsal (top) side is mostly unmarked, although females have a thin black border and two spots near the leading edge of the forewing. These are usually not identifiable to species in the field. Views: 151.