North American Butterflies and Moths List

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Butterflies of North America

Butterflies of Wyoming

Southwestern Orangetip (Anthocharis thoosa)
JPG -- species photo

Southwestern Orangetip (Anthocharis thoosa [Scudder])

Wing span: 1 - 1 ½ inches (2.5-3.7 cm).

Identification: Male white, female either white or yellowish, especially on hindwing. Most similar to Sara Orangetip, but black bar on inner edge of orange tip very wide, and marbling nearly black.

Life history: Plants in the mustard (Brassicaceae) family including tansy-mustard (Descurainia), hedge mustard (Sisymbrium) and rock cresses (Arabis) species.

Flight: Late February through April.

Adult food: Flower nectar, including that of host mustards.

Habitat: Mainly juniper or pinyon-juniper woodland. Also desert hills.

Range: Arid intermountain West from northern Nevada, Utah, and western Colorado south to western Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and southeastern California.

Conservation: Conserve restricted populations.

Management needs: Preserve host plant and flyway habitats.

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:


Bailowitz, R. A., and J. P. Brock. 1991. Butterflies of southeastern Arizona. 

     Sonoran Arthropod Studies, Inc., Tucson, Arizona. 342 pages.



Emmel, T.C. and J.F. Emmel. 1973. The butterflies of southern California. Natural 

     History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles. 148 pages.



Garth, J.S. and J.W. Tilden. 1986.California Butterflies. University of California 

     Press, Berkeley and Los Angeles. 246 pp, 24 plates.



Opler, P.A. 1999. A field guide to western butterflies.  Houghton-Mifflin Co., 

     Boston, Mass. 540 pages, 44 color plates.



Scott, J. A. 1986. The butterflies of North America. Stanford University Press, 

     Stanford, Calif. 583 pages, 64 color plates.



Stanford, R. E. and P. A. Opler. 1993. Atlas of western USA butterflies including 

     adjacent parts of Canada and Mexico. Denver and Fort Collins, CO.

Author: Paul A. Opler

State and Regional References:


Ferris, C.D. and F.M. Brown. 1980. Butterflies of the Rocky Mountain States. 

     University of Oklahoma Press. Norman.



Ferris, C.D. 1971. An Annotated Checklist of the Rhopalocera [Butterflies] of 

     Wyoming. University of Wyoming Agriculture Experiment Station Science 

     Monograph 23: 1-75.   



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.

Southwestern Orangetip (Anthocharis thoosa)
distribution map
map legend

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