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Have you seen this butterfly?![]()
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The orange sulfur butterfly is now one of the most common butterflies in North America. They can be found from southern Canada all the way to central Mexico. It’s believed that this species originated in the southwest and that their population traveled further northeast, assisted by changing agricultural patterns during the colonization of the United States. ![]()
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By the turn of the 20th century, the orange sulfur butterfly had made its way across the entire country. These butterflies can live in just about any open space, including meadows, fields, suburbs, and roadsides. The addition of farm fields expanded their habitat and provided them with more food sources. Orange sulfur caterpillars are actually considered a pest, especially in alfalfa fields where they can do significant damage. ![]()
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Orange sulfur butterflies are closely related to clouded sulfur butterflies. They sometimes even hybridize due to the female being unable to recognize her own species’ pheromones directly after emerging. ![]()
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Some female orange sulfur butterflies have white wings instead of their usual yellow. These females are called albas. They are larger than non albas and also lay larger eggs. This is a reproductive adaptation that some butterflies developed. Nitrogen that would go towards the production of their yellow color, instead goes to the production of their eggs.![]()
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The time of year you can find these butterflies varies throughout the country, but in Wisconsin, you can find them most of the year, from early spring to late fall, when two to three generations live and die. Their lifespan is very short, with adult butterflies only living for one to three weeks, and their population peaking in August. ![]()
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Photo: Stephanie Briand, Aldo Leopold Nature Center![]()
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#PhenologyFriday #OrangeSulfurButterfly #WIEnviroEd #NatureIsEverywhere #NatureIsForEveryone #EveryBodyOutside
