North American Butterflies and Moths List

The definitive website on wildbirds & nature

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Butterflies of North America

Butterflies of Northern Mexico

Statira Sulphur (Phoebis statira)

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Statira Sulphur (Phoebis statira [Cramer])

Wing span: 2 3/8 - 3 1/8 inches (6 - 8 cm).

Identification: Upper surface of male wings divided by ridge of scales; outer half of wing pale yellow, inner half lemon yellow. Female lemon yellow with black borders at apex and outer margin, solid black cell spot.

Life history: Females lay eggs singly on young leaves of host plants.

Flight: Many flights in Florida from June-February. Makes large migrations in the tropics.

Caterpillar hosts: In Florida, Dalbergia ecastophyllum and Calliandra, both in the pea family (Fabaceae).

Adult food: Nectar from red-flowered plants including scarlet bush.

Habitat: Tropical scrub, gardens, fields, forest edges.

Range: Argentina north to southern Texas and southern Florida. Stray in southern Georgia, New Mexico, and Kansas.

Conservation: Not usually 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 G. O. Krizek. 1984. Butterflies east of the  Great Plains. 
     Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. 294 pages, 54 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:

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.

Statira Sulphur (Phoebis statira)

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