Sleepy Orange

  • Family name: Pieridae/Whites and Sulphurs
  • General description: orange in males to yellow-orange in females with irregular black wing margins; forewing with small black cell spot. Ventral hindwing seasonably variable; summer form (wet season) individuals yellow with darker pattern elements; winter form (dry season) individuals reddish-brown with darker pattern elements.
  • Field Marks: orange with irregular black wing margins
  • Sexes: appear similar
  • Wingspan: 35-50 mm
  • Life Cycle: Egg: whitish-yellow, spindle-shaped, laid singly on host leaves Mature larva: green with narrow lateral white stripe Chrysalis: green to black
  • Number of Generations: multiple
  • Flight Season: All year
  • Abundance: Common
  • Habitat: disturbed sites, fields, roadsides, agricultural land
  • Counties: Alachua, Baker, Bay, Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Calhoun, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Columbia, De Soto, Dixie, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Glades, Gulf, Hamilton, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Holmes, Indian River, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Lake, Lee, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Nassau, Okaloosa, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Santa Rosa, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, Suwannee, Taylor, Union, Volusia, Wakulla, Walton, Washington
  • Larval Host Plants: Sicklepod senna (Cassia obtusifolia), coffee senna (Cassia occidentalis),
  • Similar Species:
  • Additional Information: Adults overwinter in reproductive diapause. Range is limited in Nevada, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, Illinois, Indiana and Ohio.

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