Category Archives: orange barred sulphur

Eight!

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Yesterday was a pretty spectacular day for the orange barred sulphur butterflies. We had eight emerge in our butterfly house. These butterflies have such a magnificent hue and are truly rays of sunshine as they flutter about the garden.

This butterfly, I have read is the largest southeastern sulphur with a wingspan from 2 3/4 to 3 1/2 inches.

Like many other species, the females are larger than the male butterflies. The males are bright yellow and the females hue changes with the season. They have a narrow dark border and are creamy white in the summer and yellow in the winter.

When they have their wings closed, the male has small dark spots on its bright yellow wings, while the female is orange yellow with dark molting during the summer, and more heavily marked during the winter months.

Orange barred sulphur

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My ray of sunshine is a constant visitor of our garden lately. She has been busy laying tons of eggs on my Bahama cassia tree, which is already covered in caterpillars of every instar. We recently brought in seven caterpillars that were on their final instar into our butterfly house. Today all of them have created their amazing chrysalis.

Earlier this week we had an orange barred sulphur emerge in our butterfly house, which was eager to fly free.. Their beauty is striking, especially when the sun hits them just right.

And it continues

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It has been a fantastic year so far for the orange barred sulphur caterpillars. I am always finding more and more when I check my Bahama cassia tree. They blend so well with the leaves, that often times I do not find them until they are closer to creating their chrysalis.

I mean really, is there anything better than inviting so many species of butterflies into your garden, giving you an up close and personal view of their life cycle? I always feel like a little kid every time I spot a butterfly, or caterpillar. A hobby, turned to passion.

My sunshine

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This morning we had two rays of sunshine emerge from their chrysalis in our butterfly house. The larger of the two was not interested in having its photo taken. As soon as I put my finger inside, it crawled on and then took flight right away. The sulphur was absolutely stunning as it spread its gorgeous wings.

The one below hung out with my daughter and I for a while, before I put it on one of the zinnia flowers I grew from seed. It eventually flew to the roof and sat for a while before it flew away.

I absolutely love the sulphur butterflies. The yellow is so bright and sunny, leaving you smiling. They remind me of my daughter, as I have sung her “You are my Sunshine,” since she was a baby.

And it continues

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The Bahama cassia tree is crawling with heaps of orange barred sulphur caterpillars once again. It’s amazing how quickly the lifecycle takes shape, how these caterpillars change from yellow, which is incredibly hard to find, to this amazing coloration that blends in with the tree. The hunt will soon begin of finding their final destination to create their chrysalis.