Phoebis agarithe fisheri

Large Orange Sulphur

A classic case of a butterfly that followed exotic plants into the state. Once a very rare stray, this is now a common butterfly much of the year in Palm Desert and a few other places where non-native landscaping plants in the Fabaceae family (such as Pithecellobium dulce trees) are now widespread. These may be confused with cloudless sulphurs in our area, but the unbroken line visible on the ventral side of the forewing distinguishes it from the cloudless, which has a broken line. Large orange sulphurs tend to be larger as well, and a bolder yellow color, especially the females.

I finally was able to get a positive identification of a large orange sulphur in my garden in Long Beach on January 1st, 2024. I had been seeing sulphurs that looked different from the usual cloudless sulphurs around; they were a bit more orange than the yellow cloudless sulphur males. Looking at iNaturalist, it is clear that these are being seen now across southern California, probably thanks to widespread ornamental planting of the same kind of desert-adapted leguminous shrubs and trees that drew them to Palm Desert several years ago. I've certainly seen these same imports take hold in yards around Long Beach in recent years.

Phoebis agarithe fisheri - Large Orange Sulphur
Phoebis agarithe fisheri is much more common in Arizona than in southern California, but a good population has taken hold in the Palm Desert area, where all the photographs on this page were taken. June 18, 2016.
Phoebis agarithe fisheri - Large Orange Sulphur
Another large orange sulphur, same day as above.
Phoebis agarithe fisheri - Large Orange Sulphur
A large orange sulphur, Phoebis agarithe fisheri, at a nursery in Palm Desert (Riverside Co., CA) on October 11, 2009.
Phoebis agarithe fisheri - Large Orange Sulphur
Phoebis agarithe fisheri, showing a bit of the dorsal side. Palm Desert, June 25, 2012.
Phoebis agarithe fisheri - Large Orange Sulphur
Same large orange sulphur as above. Palm Desert, June 25, 2012.
egg of Phoebis agarithe fisheri - Large Orange Sulphur
This is the egg of a Phoebis agarithe female I found ovipositing on some sort of non-native shrub in Palm Desert. January 20, 2021.
Original description of Phoebis agarithe fisheri - Large Orange Sulphur
Henry Edwards described this butterfly in 1883 in volume 3 of the journal Papilio.

©Dennis Walker