North American Butterflies and Moths List

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Butterflies of North America

Butterflies of Arizona

White Angled-Sulphur (Anteos clorinde)
JPG -- species photo

White Angled-Sulphur (Anteos clorinde [Godart])

Wing span: 2 3/4 - 3 1/2 inches (7 - 9 cm).

Identification: Large. Apex of forewing hooked. Wings pale green, fading with age. Yellow bar in forewing cell; more diffuse in female.

Life history: Strong flyers; usually fly high and rapidly over the canopy or along rivers. Eggs are laid singly on edges of host plant leaves. No distinct broods.

Flight: Many flights from August-December in south Texas, all year in the tropics.

Caterpillar hosts: Senna (Cassia spectabilis) in the pea family (Fabaceae).

Adult food: Nectar from red or purple flowers including Lantana, Bougainvilla, and Hibiscus.

Habitat: Subtropical, open, sunny areas; migrants found almost anywhere.

Range: Resident from Argentina to Mexico; regular migrant to South Texas; occasional in Great Plains to Nebraska and northeast Colorado.

Conservation: Not required.

Management needs: None reported.

The Nature Conservancy Global Rank: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery

References:

DeVries, P. J. 1987. The butterflies of Costa Rica and their  natural history. 
     Princeton University Press, Princeton, New  Jersey. 327 pages, 
     50 color plates.

Opler, P. A. and V. Malikul. 1992. A field guide to eastern  butterflies. 
     Peterson field guide #4. Houghton-Mifflin Co.,  Boston. 396 pages, 
     48 color plates.

Scott, J. A. 1986. The butterflies of North America. Stanford  University
     Press, Stanford, Calif. 583 pages, 64 color plates.

Tilden, J. W. 1986. A field guide to western butterflies.  Houghton-Mifflin 
     Co., Boston, Mass. 370 pages, 23 color plates.

Author: Jane M. Struttmann

State and Regional References:

Bailowitz, R. A. and J. P. Brock. 1991. Butterflies of Southeastern Arizona. 
     Tucson, Ariz.: Sonoran Arthropod Studies, Inc.

Garth, J.S. 1950. Butterflies of Grand Canyon National Park. Grand Canyon 
     Natural History Association, Grand Canyon, Ariz.

Opler, Paul A. 1999. Peterson Field Guide to Western Butterflies, revised 
     edition. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Mass.

Stanford, R.E. and P.A. Opler. 1993. Atlas of Western USA Butterflies. 
     Privately published, Denver, Colo.

Tilden, J.W. and A.C. Smith. 1986. A Field Guide to Western Butterflies. 
     Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Mass.
White Angled-Sulphur (Anteos clorinde)
distribution map
map legend

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