San Antonio Missions National Historical Park Butterfly Guide 🦋

Color: Upperside of wings orange in both sexes; orange-yellow form rare. Forewing with small black cell spot. Male with sharply defined black borders on outer and costal margins; female borders not so well-defined. In winter form, underside of hindwing is brick red, brown, or tan; in summer form it is orange-yellow.
Wingspan: 1 3/8 - 2 1/4 inches (3.5 - 5.7 cm)
Host plants: Cassia species in the pea family (Fabaceae).
Adult food: Nectar from many species of flowers, including shepherd's needle (Bidens pilosa).
Overwintering stage: Dry season form (adult)
Mate-Location system: patrolling
Flight: All year long in southern Texas and Deep South. Mid- to late summer in the north.

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Abaeis-nicippe less ↑

Color: Tip of forewing square-shaped. Upperside forewing of male white with yellow basal area; often with vertical black bar at wing edge. Underside of hindwing has raised veins and satin sheen. Females occur in both yellow and white forms. Both sexes are extremely variable
Wingspan: 1 1/2 - 2 3/8 inches (3.8 - 6 cm)
Host plants: Plants in the Zygophyllaceae family vitae (Guaiacum sanctum) in southern Florida and Porliera angustifolia in Texas.
Overwintering stage:
Mate-Location system:
Flight: Throughout the year in South Texas, April-August in Florida and to the north and east.

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Kricogonia-lyside less ↑

Color: Small, with elongated forewings. Upperside yellow with black markings, female with more extensive black than male. White form very rare. Underside of forewing with orange or yellow patch at base of wing and black spots at outer wing edge. Winter form has dusty green hindwing, summer form hindwing is pale yellow.
Wingspan: 3/4 - 1 1/4 inches (2 - 3.2 cm).
Host plants: plants in the aster family (Asteraceae) especially shepherd's needle (Bidens pilosa), sneezeweed (Helenium), fetid marigold (Dyssodia), and cultivated marigold (Tagetes).
Adult food: Nectars at Labrador tea, asters, wild marigold, rabbitbrush, and others.
Overwintering stage:
Mate-Location system: males patrol
Flight: Throughout the year in peninsular Florida and South Texas. After overwintering as adults in the South, some migrate north in spring and summer. Flight of about 6 months in the north. less ↑

Color: Upper surface of male is lemon yellow with no markings. Female is yellow or white; outer edges of both wings with irregular black borders; upper forewing with dark spot in cell. Lower surface of hindwing of both sexes with 2 pink-edged silver spots.
Wingspan: 2 1/4 - 3 1/8 inches (5.7 - 8 cm)
Host plants: Cassia species in the pea family (Fabaceae).
Adult food: Nectar from many different flowers with long tubes including cordia, bougainvilla, cardinal flower, hibiscus, lantana, and wild morning glory.
Overwintering stage:
Mate-Location system: patrolling
Flight: Many flights year around in the Deep South; may have one flight in late summer in other southern states

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Phoebis-sennae less ↑

Color: Upper surface of male bright orange with no markings. Two female forms, pink-white or yellow-orange. Underside forewing of both sexes with straight submarginal line. Two seasonal forms; winter form has heavier underside markings.
Wingspan: 2 1/4 - 3 3/8 inches (5.7 - 8.6 cm)
Host plants: Pithecellobium and Inga species in the pea family (Fabaceae).
Adult food: Nectar from flowers of lantana, shepherd's needle, bougainvilla, rose periwinkle, turk's cap, and hibiscus.
Overwintering stage:
Mate-Location system:
Flight: All year in south Texas and south Florida, strays north in mid- to late summer.

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Phoebis-agarithe less ↑

Color: Upperside of male forewing yellow with wide black apex. Hindwing with black border. Female yellow or white (rare) with black borders. Both sexes with small black spot in forewing cell.
Wingspan: 1 1/4 - 1 3/4 inches (3.2 - 4.4 cm)
Host plants: Partridge pea (Cassia fasciculata) and wild sensitive plant (C. nicitans) in the pea family (Fabaceae).
Adult food: Nectar from flowers in the aster family (Asteraceae) including goldenrods and asters.
Overwintering stage:
Mate-Location system: patrolling
Flight: 4-5 flights in South Texas and the Deep South; 1-3 flights in northern part of range, from late spring to early fall.

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Pyrisitia-lisa less ↑

Color: Upperside forewings of both sexes have yellow "dog's head" surrounded by black. "Eye" does not touch black border. Female similar, with duller, more diffuse black areas and 2 seasonal forms: underside hindwing of wet season "summer" form is yellow; that of dry season "winter" form is mottled with black and pink.
Wingspan: 2 1/8 - 3 inches (5.4 - 7.6 cm)
Host plants: Small-leaved plants in the pea family (Fabaceae) including alfalfa (Medicago sativa); prairie clovers, indigo (Dalea), and clover (Trifolium) species.
Adult food: Nectar from flowers including alfalfa, coreopsis, houstonia, and verbena.
Overwintering stage: adults
Mate-Location system: patrolling
Flight: 3 flights in the southern states from May-June, July-August, and September-April.

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Zerene-cesonia less ↑

Color: Quite variable. Upperside of male yellow with orange overlay, yellow veins, wide black border, and dark black cell spot. Female yellow or white with irregular black border surrounding light spots. Underside hindwing spot silver with 2 concentric dark rings, and a spot above it.
Wingspan: 1 3/8 - 2 3/4 inches (3.5 - 7 cm)
Host plants: pea family (Fabaceae) including alfalfa (Medicago sativa), white clover (Trifolium repens), and white sweet clover (Melilotus alba)
Overwintering stage: chrysalis
Mate-Location system: patrolling
Flight: 2-3 flights in the north from June-October, 4-5 in the south from March-November.

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Colias-eurytheme less ↑

Color: Upperside of male forewing has black checkered pattern on outer half. Female is more heavily patterned, but markings are more brown and diffuse. Hindwing of both male and female white. Underside of male hindwing with pale checkered pattern. Underside of female with yellow-tan markings on hindwing and tip of forewing. Short-day form has underside hindwing veins with heavy gray-green outlines.
Host plants: Mustard Family (Brassicaceae); Rocky Mountain bee-plant (Cleome serrulata)
Overwintering stage: Chrysalis
Mate-Location system: Patrolling
Flight: March-November
Wing Span: 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 inches (3.8 - 6.3 cm).
Conservation: Not required.
NCGR: G4 - Apparently secure globally, though it might be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.

https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Pontia-protodice less ↑