Cloudless Sulphur
Phoebis sennae
Last reviewed: June 2026
Cloudless Sulphur is known for its Solid bright yellow wings.
Host plants
Cloudless Sulphur caterpillars can only develop on their larval host plants. Plant one of these natives and you can host the full life cycle in your own yard (host plant associations per the Xerces Society (opens in new tab)).
- Golden Cassia (Cassia fasciculata)
- Cassia marilandica
- American Sicklepod (Senna obtusifolia)
- Golden Cassia (Chamaecrista fasciculata)
- Lindheimer's Senna (Senna lindheimeriana)
- Two Leaved Senna (Senna roemeriana)
Want Cloudless Sulphur in your yard? Open Golden Cassia in Pollinator Patch and plan an HOA-friendly garden around it for your region.
Family
Pieridae
Wingspan
64–89 mm
Active
March through November
Range
TX, AL, AR, AZ and 27 more states
How to identify it
Easily recognized by its solid bright yellow coloration and large size, with males being more vivid than females.
Good to know
- Males are bright yellow, while females can be yellow or white
- They are strong, fast fliers that migrate across large distances
- Larvae are bright green with yellow stripes and feed exclusively on senna plants
Common questions
- What do Cloudless Sulphur caterpillars eat?
- Cloudless Sulphur caterpillars feed on Cassia fasciculata, Cassia marilandica, Senna obtusifolia, Chamaecrista fasciculata, Senna lindheimeriana, and Senna roemeriana. These are the larval host plants the caterpillars must have to develop, per the Xerces Society and host plant records compiled from GBIF and iNaturalist.
- Where do Cloudless Sulphur live?
- Cloudless Sulphur is found across TX, AL, AR, AZ and 27 more states.
- When are Cloudless Sulphur active?
- Adult Cloudless Sulphur are typically on the wing from March through November.
Range and life-history data compiled from iNaturalist, GBIF, and the Xerces Society. Photo licensed cc-by-nc.