Kricogonia lyside

Lyside Sulphur
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Pieridae
Subfamily:
Coliadinae
Genus:
Kricogonia
Species:
K. lyside
Binomial name
Kricogonia lyside
(Godart, 1819)

The Lyside Sulphur or Guayacan Sulphur[1] (Kricogonia lyside) is a North American and South American butterfly. It is in the family Pieridae. In seasons with heavy monsoons, this butterfly is seen in large migrations. These migrations are common in Texas. They are less common in the southwest. It sometimes lives in southern Florida.

Description

Lyside Sulphur variation. The top row shows the upper side of the wings. The bottom row shows the underside of the wings.

The coloring of the Lyside Sulphur varies. The upper side of the wings is pale yellow. It usually has a black bar on the top edge of the hind wing (the bottom wing). There is normally a bright yellow patch near the base (where the wing connects to the body) of the fore wing (the top wing). Some individuals also have black borders along the top edges of the fore wing. The underside of the wings varies. They vary from a greenish color to bright yellow to almost white.[2] Greener individuals have a whitish vein in the center of the hind wing. The fore wing has a bright yellow basal patch.[3] The wingspan is 1.5 to 2.38 in. (3.8 to 6 cm.).[4]

Similar species

Similar species in the Lyside Sulphur's range include Queen Alexandra's Sulphur (Colias alexandra), the Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae), and the Statira Sulphur (Phoebis statira).

Queen Alexandra's Sulphur has more yellow on the underside of the fore wing. It has a whitish spot in the center of the hind wing.[5]

The Cloudless Sulphur is larger. It is much more yellow.[5]

The Statira Sulphur has a more yellowish upper side. The underside of the wings is pale greenish to white. Females have light pinkish markings.[2]

Flight period

This butterfly is seen almost all year in southern Texas.[1] It is seen from early July to mid November in Arizona.[5] In Florida, there have been scattered sightings from July to October.[3]

Habitat

The Lyside Sulphur may be found in open, subtropical scrub habitats.[1]

Life cycle

The caterpillar varies often. It's varies from green to blackish-green. It may have markings or may not have markings. Marked individuals normally have stripes on the top and sides of their bodies. It is the only caterpillar to feed on Guaiacum sanctum.[6] The chrysalis is a bluish-green color.[1] The Lyside Sulphur can grow from egg to adult in as little as 13 days.[6] It has 3 or more broods per year in southern Texas.[6]

Host plants

Here is a list of host plants that the Lyside Sulphur caterpillar eats:

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kricogonia lyside.
Wikispecies has information on: Kricogonia lyside.
  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 James A. Scott (1986). The Butterflies of North America. Stanford University Press, Stanford, CA. ISBN 0-8047-2013-4
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Jim P. Brock and Kenn Kaufman (2003). Butterflies of North America. Houghton Mifflin, New York, NY. ISBN 0-618-15312-8
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Rick Cech and Guy Tudor (2005). Butterflies of the East Coast. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ. ISBN 0-691-09055-6
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Lyside Sulphur," http://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species?l=1446 Archived 2010-06-20 at the Wayback Machine
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Bob Stewart, Priscilla Brodkin, and Hank Brodkin (2001). Butterflies of Arizona. West Coast Lady Press. ISBN 0-9663072-1-6
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Thomas J. Allen, Jim P. Brock, and Jeffrey Glassberg (2005). Caterpillars in the Field and Garden. Oxford University Press, New York, NY. ISBN 0195-14987-4