Dainty Sulphur (Nathalis iole)

Dainty Sulphur (Nathalis iole)

Dainty Sulphur is a rare stray in North Carolina, with only a handful of records, though there have been a number of sightings in 2012, including a colony in Winston-Salem. I found this one at the Brickhouse Road section of the Butner Game Land, a first record for Durham County. Compare with Little Yellow, which is larger and much more common (though still uncommon in the state).

Durham Co., NC 9/9/2012.

Dainty Sulphur (Nathalis iole)

Freeport, Grand Bahama, The Bahamas 6/20/2010.

Dainty Sulphur (Nathalis iole)

near Homestead, Miami-Dade Co., FL 6/24/2010.

Dainty Sulphur (Nathalis iole)

On 16 October 2002, Sudie Daves found 5 individuals at McDowell Nature Preserve near Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, NC. These may have hatched locally, after a gravid female wandered over from further west, where the species is common, and laid eggs at the site. I photographed this one there on 10/18/02.

All photographs and text ©2013 by Will Cook unless otherwise noted.