Sleepy Orange (Abaeis [Eurema] nicippe)

Sleepy Orange (Eurema nicippe)

The Sleepy Orange is one of our most common and brightly colored butterflies.

Female, Durham Co., NC 8/15/10.

Sleepy Orange (Eurema nicippe)

Male, Durham Co., NC 8/19/12.

Sleepy Orange (Eurema nicippe)

You can see hundreds in a day in farm fields in the Coastal Plain.

Female, Washington Co., NC 6/21/06.

Sleepy Orange (Eurema nicippe)

The summer form is a bright orange-yellow beneath and orange above with black borders. Males are less heavily marked than females.

Male, Lenoir Co., NC 8/25/02.

Sleepy Orange (Eurema nicippe) Summer form female, Lenoir Co., NC 8/25/02.
Sleepy Orange (Eurema nicippe) The distinctive "winter" form, with vermiculated lower hindwings, is seen from mid-fall through mid-spring. They are usually a rich, pumpkin-orange color above, with black borders.

These orange butterflies are called "sleepy" because they have a black mark on the forewing shaped like a closed eye. You can see it well on this individual.

Female, Craven Co., NC 10/12/01.

Sleepy Orange (Eurema nicippe)

Male, Orange Co., NC 11/10/02.

Sleepy Orange (Eurema nicippe) Definitely one of our most attractive butterflies.

Summer form male, Durham Co., NC 9/16/01.

puddle party

A puddle party featuring 20 Sleepy Oranges, 2 Cloudless Sulphurs, 2 Silvery Checkerspots, and 6 Common Checkered-Skippers.

Durham Co., NC 8/15/10.

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