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Butterfly Garden

What type of sulphur?

14 years ago

I was excited a couple of nights ago when I noticed a really colorful sulphur chrysalis which I figured must be an orange-barred sulphur. When I went to the screen room the next morning I took my camera in anticipation of some good pictures. To my surprise, there were two sulphurs, and I can't identify the one with the 3 black spots on its wings.

Here's my beautiful chrysalis!

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Here's the resulting butterfly! No matter what I did it would not open its wings so I could get a picture, but you can sort of see the orange-red colors through the wings.

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Here are the two sulphurs -

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Try as I might, I can't find a picture that tells me what this is. I don't have a good butterfly book and am relying on searching the net. I know you experienced experts can tell me what to look for! I appreciate all the help. I'm trying to learn - I promise!

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Sherrie

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Comments (7)

butterflymomok
14 years ago
You have a male and a female Orange-barred sulfur. The one with the black margin and dots is a female. The plain one is a male. Congrats!
MissSherry
14 years ago
Beautiful sulphurs!!
Sherry
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bernergrrl
14 years ago
Beautiful! Thanks for posting!
sherrie_kay
Original Author
14 years ago
Thank you butterflymomok! I was looking at everything BUT orange-barred females. No wonder I couldn't find it, but I did imnmediately after you told me what it was.

I just witnessed a strange thing outside. There was a pair of polydamas swallowtails in a mating embrace, and the larger female was trying to lay eggs on the host plant with the male still attached. I could actually see about three yellow eggs emerge between her and the male. She flew to a different area and I lost sight of them. Has anyone ever seen something like that??
MissSherry
14 years ago
No, I've never seen that before, Sherriekay!
It hardly seems possible - I guess they weren't completely coupled.
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ladobe
14 years ago
{{gwi:510918}}
bananasinohio
14 years ago
I have seen a pair of mating monarchs that were stuck together. They were flying around my yard for well over 24 hours. I finally caught them and tried to pull them apart. Even gentle pulling wouldn't get them apart. I just let them go and hoped for the best. Nature can be so cruel sometimes. And then it can be so beautiful as in your pictures. I wish we had those here in Ohio. They are probably a rare accidental here, sigh.
-Elisabeth

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