Insect · GBIF taxon 1919653
Cloudless Sulphur
Phoebis sennaeAlso known as Cloudless Yellow Butterfly, Senna Sulphur
Cloudless sulphurs are vibrant, lemon-yellow butterflies famed for their dramatic seasonal migrations across North and South America. Males display pure, brilliant yellow wings, while females present a slightly warmer tone accented by subtle dark spots along the wing margins. Caterpillars feed on various wild legumes, relying on floral or leaf camouflage to hide from hungry birds while developing.
MigratoryColorfulPolymorphic
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Flower nectar
- Senna foliage
- Partridge pea leaves
Predators
- Insectivorous birds
- Orb-weaver spiders
- Praying mantises
ThreatsPesticide overuse, habitat fragmentation
HabitatsFields, gardens, roadsides, parks, coastal dunes
Life span1–3 months (adult stage)
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- OrderLepidoptera
- FamilyPieridae
- GenusPhoebis
- SpeciesPhoebis sennae
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Plant host species: Grow Senna plants in full sun to attract egg-laying females to gardens.
- Look for puddling: Search damp mud or wet sand where males gather to sip mineral-rich water.
- Observe autumn flight: Watch for rapid, direct southward flights along coastal dunes in fall.
Host Plant (c) Fritz Flohr Reynolds, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA) · cc-by-sa
Family Relative no rights reserved, uploaded by Chrissy McClarren and Andy Reago · cc0
Family Relative (c) Arlo Sitimans, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
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Mystic Meadows
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