Maine is home to 10 species in 5 genera. If you know which species you have or are interested in learning about, click on the appropriate link from the species list below. Otherwise, to determine which genus your sulphur or white belongs to, refer to the table below the species list.
Pontia (1 species)
Pontia protodice - checkered white
Pieris (2 species)
Pieris rapae - cabbage white
Pieris oleracea - mustard white
Colias (3 species)
Colias philodice - clouded sulphur
Colias eurytheme - alfalfa butterfly
Colias interior - pink-edged sulphur
Phoebis (3 species)
Phoebis sennae - cloudless sulphur
Phoebis philea - orange-barred sulphur
Phoebis argarithe - large orange sulphur
Pyrisitia (1 species)
Pyrisitia lisa - little sulphur
| red font = character state unique or nearly so | principal color(s) | char. 2 | wingspan (mm) | char. 4 | char. 5 |
| Pontia protodice) | white with black | 44–62 | |||
| Pieris | white | 34–58 | |||
| Colias | yellow | 48–70 | |||
| Phoebis | yellow | 63–98 | no report after 1995 | ||
| Pyrisitia lisa) | pale yellow | rare stray |
Pontia (white)
[information to be added]
Pontia protodice (checkered white) - [information to be added]
Pieris (white)
[information to be added]
| forewing tip color | char. 2 | wingspan (mm) | char. 4 | char. 5 | char. 6 | |
| P. rapae | black | 45–58 | ||||
| P. oleracea | white | 34–57 |
Pieris rapae (cabbage white) - [information to be added]
Pieris oleracea (mustard white) - [information to be added]
Colias (sulphur)
[information to be added]
| red font = character state unique or nearly so | char. 1 | char. 2 | wingspan (mm) | char. 4 | char. 5 | char. 6 |
| C. philodice | 50–70 | |||||
| C. eurytheme | 48–68 | |||||
| C. interior | 48–66 |
Colias philodice (clouded sulphur)
(click on image to enlarge)
Colias eurytheme (alfalfa butterfly) - [information to be added]
Colias interior (pink-edged sulphur) - One subspecies (laurentina) has been reported from Maine.
Phoebis (sulphur)
All three species below are rare strays, with no reports from Maine after 1995.
| red font = character state unique or nearly so | char. 1 | char. 2 | wingspan (mm) | char. 4 | char. 5 | char. 6 |
| P. sennae | 63–78 | |||||
| P. philea | 68–98 | |||||
| P. agarithe | 70–86 |
Phoebis sennae (cloudless sulphur) - One subspecies (eubule) has been reported from Maine.
Phoebis philea (orange-barred sulphur) - [information to be added]
Phoebis agarithe (large orange sulphur) - One subspecies (maxima) has been reported from Maine.
Pyrisitia ([?])
[information to be added]
Pyrisitia lisa (little sulphur) - rare stray