Pieridae : Coliadinae
Phoebis philea (Johansson, 1763)
Orange-barred Sulphur
Phoebis philea (Johansson, 1763)
Orange-barred Sulphur
Description and Similar Species: Wingspan 80-102mm. Sexually dimorphic with males yellowish and females largely orange. Females of the form huebneri (see Status below) have a broad dark border on the underside hindwing.
Range: Southern USA to South America and several Caribbean Islands.
Status: In Cuba it is uncommon but widespread. The form huebneri predominates in the east from where it has been known since the nineteenth century. The form philea is found predominately in the west and is thought to have arrived from the continent in the 1960's (Hernández). The two apparently now hybridise and provide a bewildering array of different forms. It is hoped that DNA analysis of the different forms may provide some further clarity.
Nectar Plants: Ixora, Thunbergia, Hibiscus, Ageratum, Cassia, Antigonon, Mora and also on damp ground.
Larval Foodplants: Cassia grandis, C. fistula, C. occidentalis, Poinciana pulcherrima and Senna alata and S. spectabilis.
Range: Southern USA to South America and several Caribbean Islands.
Status: In Cuba it is uncommon but widespread. The form huebneri predominates in the east from where it has been known since the nineteenth century. The form philea is found predominately in the west and is thought to have arrived from the continent in the 1960's (Hernández). The two apparently now hybridise and provide a bewildering array of different forms. It is hoped that DNA analysis of the different forms may provide some further clarity.
Nectar Plants: Ixora, Thunbergia, Hibiscus, Ageratum, Cassia, Antigonon, Mora and also on damp ground.
Larval Foodplants: Cassia grandis, C. fistula, C. occidentalis, Poinciana pulcherrima and Senna alata and S. spectabilis.
Egg
Larva
Foodplants and Habitat
