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Nathalis iole Boisduval, 1836
Dainty Sulphur; Dwarf Sulphurs
Family: Pieridae (Whites, Marbles, and Sulphurs)
Species account authors: Crispin Guppy and Jon Shepard.
Extracted from Butterflies of British Columbia.
Introduction to the Butterflies of BC
The Families of Lepidoptera of BC

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Map

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Distribution of Nathalis iole in British Columbia.
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Source: Butterflies of British Columbia by Crispin Guppy and Jon Shepard © Royal BC Museum

Species Information


Adult

Adults are unmistakable, tiny yellow butterflies with black wing borders. They cannot be confused with any other butterfly.

Immature Stages

Eggs are orange yellow when laid and do not change colour to orange. Mature larvae are dark green with a broad purple dorsal stripe bordered on each side by a narrow yellow stripe, and there is a yellow lateral stripe on each side with an equally wide purple band above. The body is covered with numerous white hairs, and the head is green with white hairs. Pupae are green with fine whitish markings. The underside of the abdomen is white green. There is a purple dorsal line on the thorax, and a purple green dorsal line from the thorax back along the abdomen that is bordered in yellow. There is a yellow lateral band in the middle area of the abdomen, and spiracles have purple spots above them (Scott 1992).

Subspecies

None. The type locality of the species is Mexico.

Genus Description


The derivation of Nathalis is unknown. The common name refers to the very small size of the species in the genus, compared with other sulphurs. Dwarf sulphurs are small, bright yellow butterflies with black wing margins. They are delicately built and slow-flying. One species may occur in BC as a rare migrant.

Biology


Dainty Sulphurs are highly migratory, and each summer migrate north throughout the USA. Outside BC larval foodplants include Bidens pilosa, B. frondosa, Dyssodia papposa, Helenium autumnale, Palafaxia arida var. gigantea, Stellaria media, Thelesperma filifolium, and T. megapotamicum (Comstock 1927; Pyle 1981; Scott 1992).

Habitat


Dainty Sulphurs have been recorded from northwestern MT and eastern WA, indicating that they will eventually be seen in the eastern Kootenay region of BC. They inhabit dry, open areas.

Distribution

Distribution

Tropical America, migrating north each summer throughout the southern and central USA and straying north into CAN.

Status Information

Origin StatusProvincial StatusBC List
(Red Blue List)
COSEWIC
UnlistedUnlistedUnlistedUnlisted



BC Ministry of Environment: BC Species and Ecosystems Explorer--the authoritative source for conservation information in British Columbia.

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