Lepidoptera75 species

Family Whites, Yellows, and Sulphurs (Pieridae)

Pieridae is a family in the order Lepidoptera. Browse 75 named species recorded in this family, or open an individual profile for its available identification and natural-history information.

Species in Pieridae (75)

White Angled-Sulphur - Hodges#4226

Anteos clorinde

Identification: White with irregular yellow spot in the middle of the margin of the front wing.

Sara Orangetip - Hodges#4206

Anthocharis sara

Identification: Where found in the same areas as 'Desert Orangetip' ( Anthocharis cethura ), that species has prominent pale (usually white) spots along the margin of the upper front wing, clearly dividing the dark border from the edge of the wing, w

Great Southern White

Ascia monuste

Ascia monuste, the great southern white or pirpinto in Argentina, is a butterfly which is the only species in the genus Ascia of the family Pieridae. In this species the sexes may differ with the female being either light or dark colored. It is found

Lemon Migrant

Catopsilia pomona

Catopsilia pomona, the common emigrant or lemon emigrant, is a medium-sized pierid butterfly found in Asia and parts of Australia. The species gets its name from its habit of migration. Some early authors considered them as two distinct species Catop

Queen Alexandra's Sulphur - Hodges#4211

Colias alexandra

Identification: Upper surface of male bright yellow with pale yellow at wing bases; wings edged by narrow black border crossed by yellow veins; cell spot small. Female yellow, sometimes white, with forewing border faded or absent. Underside of hindwi

Christina Sulphur - Hodges#4211.1

Colias christina

Identification: Very similar to C. alexandra , and sometimes considered a subspecies of it. Front wings pointed looking. Orange above (some females white), males with narrow black borders and females with hint of border on front wing. Below yellow

Clouded Yellow

Colias crocea

Colias croceus is a small butterfly of the Pieridae family, that is, the yellows and whites. In India and nearby regions it is known as the dark clouded yellow or common clouded yellow to distinguish it from the other species of clouded yellows occur

Clouded Yellow

Colias croceus

This strong-flying and mainly immigrant butterfly always settles with its wings closed and so the dark borders on the upper sides of the wings are only visible when in flight. This species is sometimes mistaken in flight for one of the commoner 'whit

Giant Sulphur - Hodges#4222

Colias gigantea

Identification: Upper surface of male yellow with narrow black borders; lower surface without submarginal black spots. Female with 2 forms, yellow or white; both may have black border reduced or lacking.

Harford's Sulphur - Hodges#4211.2

Colias harfordii

Identification: Photos of dorsal and ventral views can be found at Butterflies of America Very like Alexandra Sulphur above, but apparently no white female form. Below like Clouded Sulphur, except discal spot below often (usually?) without a small s

Mead's Sulphur - Hodges#4213

Colias meadii

Identification: Underside greenish-yellow, white spot on hindwing circled in red.

Western Sulphur - Hodges#4212

Colias occidentalis

Identification: Very close to Christina and Alexandra Sulphurs. Characters much the same as for Christina Sulphur, but upper side usually bright yellow, at most flushed orange. Found further southwest, but overlapping in Rockies in US.

Scudder's Sulphur - Hodges#4223

Colias scudderii

Identification: Fairly easily identified by rounded wing shape, yellow color (not orange, but sometimes white in females), usually relatively wide and bold dark borders of male (weak to absent borders on females). Underside usually less greenish tha

Large Marble - Hodges#4200

Euchloe ausonides

Identification: Adult: forewing upperside chalky white with large black discal spot (black bar that touches costa) with extensive dusting of white scales, and dark pattern at apex; underside of hindwing with dense reticulate pattern of yellowish-gree

Olympia Marble - Hodges#4202

Euchloe olympia

Identification: Adult: forewing upperside chalky white with gray bar at end of cell, and light gray tip; hindwing underside with greenish-yellow marbling forming three distinct bands with large white spaces between; fresh specimens have pinkish tinge

Ghost Yellow - Hodges#4247.1

Eurema albula

Identification: Small with rounded wings. Color white above with narrow near black border along outer margin of forewing, and also on hind wing in males. Underside usually white, but may be slightly yellowish (particularly at base of wings); otherw

Boisduval's Yellow - Hodges#4245

Eurema boisduvaliana

Identification: Hindwing has a slight point (tail seems too strong a word, though Butterflies through Binoculars calls it that).

Barred Yellow - Hodges#4243

Eurema daira

Identification: Adult: small, weak-flying, yellow or white above. Female whitish to yellow; male always has a yellow forewing and usually yellow upper hindwing, but white upper hindwing in southern portion of range. Male has a black bar along the upp

Common Grass Yellow

Eurema hecabe

Eurema hecabe, a.k.a. the large grass yellow or common grass yellow, is a small pierid butterfly species found in Asia and Africa. They are found flying close to the ground and are found in open grass and scrub habitats. It is simply known as "the gr

Little Yellow

Eurema lisa

Eurema lisa, commonly known as the little yellow, little sulphur or little sulfur, is a species of Coliadinae that occurs in Central America and the southern part of North America.

Sleepy Orange

Eurema nicippe

Eurema nicippe, the sleepy orange, is a North American butterfly in the family Pieridae. It is also found in the West Indies, Costa Rica and Belize.

Salome Yellow - Hodges#4247

Eurema salome

Identification: Yellow; hind wings angled / "tailed" with "tails" broad, short and triangular; upper side with bold black border along outer edge of all four wings in males and front wings in females; dark spot at outer end of forwing discal cell is

Howarth's White - Hodges#4199.1

Ganyra howarthi

In the US, most widely known from the area of Quitobaquito Springs; widespread in neighbouring Mexico.

Giant White - Hodges#4199

Ganyra josephina

Identification: Male is entirely white except for a single round, black spot in the forewing. Females may have a few diffuse black or brown spots or a brownish wash near the one clear spot; also a faint brown edge.

Florida White - Hodges#4190

Glutophrissa drusilla

Identification: Dorsal, male all white with dark forward costal edge. Female is like the male, except she has black on the FW tips. Underwing, white with yellow on basal FW. Antenna clubs are white.

Brimstone

Gonepteryx rhamni

It is commonly believed that the word 'butterfly' is a derived from 'butter-coloured fly' which is attributed to the yellow of the male Brimstone butterfly, the female being a much paler whitish-green. The Brimstone has a most exquisite wing shape, p

Cross-barred White - Hodges#4189.5

Itaballia demophile

First U.S. Record: National Butterfly Center, Mission, Hidalgo Co., TX, December 7, 2004 (Jeffrey Glassberg, David Hanson, & m. ob.)

Green-eyed White

Leptophobia aripa

Leptophobia aripa, the common green-eyed white or mountain white, is a butterfly in the Pieridae family. It is native to Mexico, Central America and South America, but strays may be found as far north as southern Texas.

Pine White - Hodges#4187

Neophasia menapia

Identification: White butterfly with black venation on the underside of the hindwing. The forewing has a black tip with white cells. The forewing has a black margin on the leading edge that curves in to form a black ball-tip. Pine Whites have perhaps

Large Orange Sulphur

Phoebis agarithe

Phoebis agarithe, the orange giant sulphur or large orange sulphur, is a butterfly in the family Pieridae. It is found from Peru north to southern Texas and peninsular Florida. Rare strays can be found up to Colorado, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and New

Orange-barred Sulphur - Hodges#4229

Phoebis philea

Identification: Below, similar to the more widespread Cloudless Sulphur, but more orange, especially at the rear of hindwings (female). Slightly larger than Cloudless Sulphur. The male has few markings but the upperside of the forewing has an orange

Painted White - Hodges#4189.3

Pieriballia viardi

First U.S. Record: Bentsen-RGV State Park, Mission, Hidalgo Co., Texas - 2005 (Bordelon & Knudson 2006)

Arctic White - Hodges#4195.5

Pieris angelika

Identification: Distinction from P. marginalis & P. oleracea is based primarily on geography. P. angelika is a more northwestern species. See further notes under P. oleracea .

Large White

Pieris brassicae

This is the largest of our 'white' butterflies. The female is distinguished from the male by the presence of two black spots, together with a black dash, on the forewing upper side. Whilst the Large White and Small White can usually be distinguished

Green-veined White

Pieris napi

It is often mistaken for its cousin, the Small White. The so-called green veins on the underside of the adults are, in fact, an illusion created by a subtle combination of yellow and black scales. The Green-veined White is a similar size to the Small

Mustard White - Hodges#4195.1

Pieris oleracea

Identification: However, distinction from P. angelica & P. marginalis is based primarily on geography. P. angelica is a more northwestern species and P. marginalis occurs in the West. This species, along with the Margined and Arctic Whites, were form

Small White

Pieris rapae

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This species and its larger cousin, the Large White, are often referred to as Cabbage Whites, though the Small White causes less damage to crops. There is a black tip to each wing plus one or two black dots. The underside is often more creamy white.

West Virginia White - Hodges#4196

Pieris virginiensis

Identification: Wings are translucent, whitish, with no yellowish tint underneath. Underside of hindwings with blurry brown or pale gray scaling along veins. The introduction of the non-native garlic mustard Alliaria petiolata endangers this butterfl

Becker's White - Hodges#4191

Pontia beckerii

Identification: White with black markings above and mostly green on white below. Upper front wings with subapical dark markings normally broken into two distinctly offset rectangles, forming something of a "Z" shape (same markings forming a continuo

Dina Yellow - Hodges#4240

Pyrisitia dina

Identification: Dorsal, yellow/orange with black border, broader on females. Ventral, male yellow with small black dots. Female yellow with dark smudges, and a brown apical patch on each wing. Compare with Little Yellow and Mimosa Yellow . The Dina's