Pieridae : Coliadinae
Phoebis avellaneda (Herrich-Schäffer, 1864)
Orange-washed Sulphur
Phoebis avellaneda (Herrich-Schäffer, 1864)
Orange-washed Sulphur
Description and Similar Species: Wingspan 80-102mm. Sexually dimorphic. There can be considerable variation amongst individuals in some populations but all that we have seen have looked like the pictures below. Male upperside is bright orange on the hindwing and yellow on the forewing with an orange patch. Females are reddish-orange above, usually mainly yellow on the forewing, with rows of large black marginal and post-discal spots. Female underside is darker than males with more shading. The underside feature on both sexes distinguishing this from Orange-barred Sulphur Phoebis philea is straight broken ante-median line on the hindwing (between the base and the discal spots). On P. philea this line is more broken and appears as a row of spots.
Range: Endemic to Cuba.
Status: Rare in west and central Cuba but is widespread and can be common in the east. As others in the genus this species is a fast and often high flier.
Nectar Plants: Ixora, Ageratum, Hibiscus etc and on damp ground.
Larval Foodplants: Cassia of several species and Senna spectabilis.
Range: Endemic to Cuba.
Status: Rare in west and central Cuba but is widespread and can be common in the east. As others in the genus this species is a fast and often high flier.
Nectar Plants: Ixora, Ageratum, Hibiscus etc and on damp ground.
Larval Foodplants: Cassia of several species and Senna spectabilis.
Larva
