Sleepy Orange (Eurema nicippe)

The common name, Sleepy Orange, may have come from the butterfly's habit of hibernating during the cooler days of the southern winter. In the summer it is anything but sleepy with its rapid flight. The wing shape and bright orange color are good key characteristics for distinguishing nicippe from our other sulfur butterflies.

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.
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.

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