Clouded Sulphur

 

Clouded Sulphur

 

Most of the small yellow butterflies that you commonly see flying in the fields during the summer are members of the sulphur family. There are many different sulphur butterflies around the world but the most common in my part of the world is the clouded,or common, sulphur. You can usually see these butterflies flittering between flowers all summer long and even into the fall.

Clouded Sulphur

Clouded Sulphur on Butterfly Weed

Asclepias Tuberosa

Asclepias tuberosa is a common wildflower that is found through out much of the eastern half of the United States. Even though it is a member of the milkweed family it lacks the milky liquid that gives the milkweed family its name. Its bright orange or sometimes yellow flower is good for attracting butterflies which is how it got the common name butterfly-weed. A clouded sulphur enjoys drinking from the butterfly-weed in the picture above.

Clouded Sulphur

One of the most common families of butterflies that can be seen through out the summer are the sulphurs. Sulphurs are recognizable because of their yellow, sulphur, color. We have five different types of sulphurs in the area in which I live, they include the clouded sulphur, orange sulphur, pink-edged sulphur, dainty sulphur, and the little yellow.
The most common sulphur around here is the clouded or common sulphur. It can be distinguished from the orange sulphur because it lacks orange on the fore wing, although cross breading between clouded and orange sulphurs does sometimes occur. It can be distinguished from the pink-edged because it has two spots, one large and one small on the hind wing. Sulphurs are often found sucking moisture out of sand, puddles or animal dung. When groups are found drinking, as in the photo above, it is called puddling.

Clouded Sulpher