Sulphurs

[Grkovich, Alex]

I believe that it is not at all surprising that they all turned out to be
Orange Sulphurs (C. eurytheme) and not Clouded Sulphur (C. philodice). The
Orange Sulphur is essentially a southern Sulphur species which only fairly
recently extended its range into the Northeastern U.S. and Canada. Like all
of the southern Sulphur species (Eurema, Phoebis, Nathalis, and Colias etc.)
it is much more common and widespread in the late summer and autumn. You
might also have made note of the wider black borders (and wider and more
prominent light spots inside the black borders in the females), the more
developed postmedian black spot pattern beneath, etc. in the Orange Sulphur.
I.E. it would be useful to develop the field marks of one vs. the other in
the course of an explanation, because the two species can be quite
confusing, especially in the spring and late summer when the orange ground
color of the wings above is less extensive in the Orange Sulphur. This is
also important because I have found Orange Sulphurs in the southwest which
have only a single discocellular spot on the HW beneath and are thus even
more like philodice.

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	BrianRFG at aol.com [SMTP:BrianRFG at aol.com]
> Sent:	Saturday, November 17, 2001 6:16 PM
> To:	RChyinski at aol.com; ctleps-l at lists.yale.edu
> Subject:	Re: Sulphurs
> 
> Hello,
>     I thought I might pass on a field observation of sulphurs made today
> in 
> South Dartmouth, MA. I saw nine sulphurs, all of which appeared at first 
> glance and even through binoculars (at a distance) to be Clouded Sulphurs
> - 
> rather bright yellow with no hint of orange. However, I tracked each of
> them 
> down and all were Orange Sulphurs (with not much orange but enough!). I
> think 
> all late season sulphurs should probably be pretty closely scrutinized. 
>     No other butterflies seen.
>     Brian Cassie