sleepy orange | skymeadows

sleepy orange (Abaeis nicippe)

CONFIRMATION STATUS: Confirmed.

FAMILY: Whites and Sulphurs (Pieridae)
SUBFAMILY: Sulphurs (Coliadinae)

IDENTIFICATION: Upperside of wings orange in both sexes; orange-
yellow form rare. Forewing with small black cell spot. Male with
sharply defined black borders on outer and costal margins; female
borders not so well-defined. In winter form, underside of hindwing
is brick red, brown, or tan; in summer form it is orange-yellow.

LIFE HISTORY: Males patrol flats and gullies for females. Females lay
eggs singly under host plant leaves. Caterpillars eat leaves. Dry season
form overwinters and lays eggs in spring.

FLIGHT: Four-five flights, all year long, in southern Texas and Deep
South. Mid- to late summer in the north.

WING SPAN: 1 3/8 - 2 1/4 inches (3.5 - 5.7 cm).

CATERPILLAR HOSTS: Cassia species in the pea family (Fabaceae).

ADULT FOOD: Nectar from many species of flowers, including shepherd's
needle (Bidens pilosa).

HABITAT: Low elevation areas including pine flats, fields, desert scrub,
gardens, vacant lots, road edges, and washes.

RANGE: Central America north to along the United States-Mexico
border; vagrant to non-mountainous parts of the eastern U. S. south
of 40 latitude; rare stray to Ontario, Connecticut, South Dakota, and
Colorado.

CONSERVATION: Not usually required.

NATURESERVE GLOBAL STATUS: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally,
though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the
periphery.

MANAGEMENT NEEDS: None reported.

SKY MEADOWS OCCURRENCE:

Note: Due to seasonal conditions in this region, occurrence may vary from

year to year. The designation of occurrence may range over two or more

categories and may vary even during a single season.

Key to Checklist

A   Abundant: Easy to see very large numbers of individuals in appropriate habitat
      at proper time of year.
C   Common: Usually each to see good numbers of individuals in appropriate habitat
      at proper time of year.
U   Uncommon: Sometimes found in appropriate habitat and proper time of year,
      usually in low numbers.
O   Occasional: Found in appropriate habitat perhaps only a few times a year, usually
      in low numbers.
R   Rare: Small chance of being found, even in appropriate habitat at proper time of
      year. There are few individuals and may not be present every year.
X   Extirpated: Formerly present, no longer occurs in Sky Meadows Park.