Alabama Butterfly Atlas

Butterfly: Wingspan: 2¾ - 3½ inches (7.0 - 8.6 cm). The largest southeastern sulphur. Females are larger than males. Open wings (Dorsal):  Males are bright yellow with a bright orange bar. The hindwing is yellow with orange edges.  Females may be golden-yellow or creamy white.  Summer-form females are creamy white with narrow dark borders.  Winter-form females are yellow: the outer edge of the hindwing is suffused with orange/red. There are conspicuous dark spots on her dorsal-wing edges. Females lack the orange bar.

Closed wings (Ventral): Male is bright yellow with small dark spots.  Summer-form female is orange yellow with fine dark mottling. Winter-form female is more heavily marked.

Egg: Initially, a white spindle laid singly on new growth of host. Turns yellow. 

Caterpillar: Typically green tinged with yellow. A chain of black triangles lines the sides. There are many very short, black spines.  There is also a yellow form with black patches on the sides.  Caterpillars that eat leaves are green while those that eat flowers become yellow.

Chrysalis: May be light blue-green with a yellow lateral line on the abdomen and a dark green mid-dorsal line.  Wing veins are pale.  Or may be a light purple/rose color mottled with white and yellow.  Wing veins are yellow.