The Mimosa Yellow Sulphur is a small butterfly that prefers the quiet comfort of a shady forest.
The Mimosa Yellow closely resembles the Barred Yellow Sulphur, which lacks dark dots that the Mimosa Yellow has. It also looks like the Little Yellow Sulphur, which has a pair of black dots at the base of its hindwing as well as near the tip. Mistaking it for one of these is not unusual. Shades of light pink may be visible on the hindwings.
The Mimosa Yellow Sulphur's range is rather small and it rarely strays from it. They can be found in forests as opposed to open fields and meadows like other butterflies. Because it lives in warm weather, it can produce up to 4 generations in one year. The larvae feed on mimosa plants.
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Arthropoda
Class:Insecta
Order:Lepidoptera
Family:Pieridae
Genus:Pyrisitia
Species:nise
Identifying Information
Scientific Name: Pyrisitia nise
Category:
Butterfly or Moth
Size (Adult; Length): 18mm to 30mm (0.70in to 1.17in)
Note: An insect's reach is not limited by lines drawn on a map and therefore species may appear in areas, regions and/or states beyond those listed above as they are driven by environmental factors (such as climate change), available food supplies and mating patterns. Grayed-out selections indicate that the subject in question has not been reported in that particular territory. U.S. states and Canadian provinces / territories are clickable to their respective bug listings.
Butterfly and Moth Anatomy
1
Antennae: Butterflies and Moths have a pair of antennae on the head used as sensors.
2
Head: The head is home to the insect's eyes, antennae, and proboscis.
3
Thorax: Home to the three pairs of legs as well as vital internal organs.
4
Abdomen: Contains vital internal organs such as the heart(s) and reproduction facilities.
5
Forewing: The upper, forward wing pair used for flying.
6
Hindwing: The lower, rearward wing pair used for flying.
NOTE: Butterflies and Moths are part of the Lepidopteran order as they share many similarities.