Observation of the Week: September 1 – 8, 2023
The eighteenth OOTW is this Clouded Sulphur as observed by @christawise.
I chose the Clouded Sulphur as the OOTW as I have been seeing them everywhere when in the field and have been admiring their twirling and fluttering around me.
The Clouded Sulphur is found in open fields, woodland clearings, roadsides and gardens, which is likely why I have seen so many of them – they’re location generalists! You can spot them in these areas from mid-spring to the fall, so it’s not surprising that these butterflies are in our top 10 most observed in the watershed.
The butterfly species most similar in appearance to the Clouded Sulphur is the Orange Sulphur. Specifically, the females of these species are the trickiest to tell apart. The females of either species have more of a whiteish hue, while the males display bright lemon-yellow and orange-yellow colours, which are easier to distinguish, but still tricky if you ask me.
While we’ve seen butterfly populations of certain species fluctuate over the last 5 years of the Butterfly Blitz (e.g. the Red Admiral), the Clouded Sulphur populations stay at a general state. So, you can always count on finding these brightly coloured beauties!
Happy butterflying,
Kristen and the Butterfly Blitz team
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