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The Clouded Sulphur is very common butterfly in early spring until late fall. Here in the Algonquin Highlands, it is common to see them in open areas, Alfalfa and Clover fields, roadsides and gardens.
The Clouded Sulphur can be hard to identify from the Orange Sulphur. Above the wings are a lemon yellow with black marginal borders, rather than the orangish-yellow of the Orange Sulphur. The males have a solid black border while the females have yellow spots in the border. Below the wings are a yellowish colour with a faint row of small black marginal spots and a double central spot. Some females are white instead of yellow. They have a wingspan of 3.8 - 7 cm.
The reddish-coloured eggs are laid singly on the plants of the pea family, including Alfalfa, White Clover and Pea. The caterpillars or larvae are smooth, green and have a dark stripe down the back and light stripes on its sides. They eat the leaves of the host plant. Green chrysalis overwinters.
Adult Clouded Sulphurs feed on the flower nectar of many plants.
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CLOUDED SULPHUR
Colias philodice
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