Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae) is in the Whites, Yellows, and Sulphurs family (Pieridae). Across the U.S., iNaturalist users have logged 40,443 research-grade observations of it in our sample, peaking in September.
Seasonal pattern in the national data: seasonal. Counts also reflect when people are out photographing, so compare months within a state rather than across states.
When to photograph Cloudless Sulphur: observations by month (U.S.)
About Cloudless Sulphur
Phoebis sennae, the cloudless sulphur or cloudless giant sulphur, is a mid-sized butterfly in the family Pieridae found in the New World. There are several similar species such as the yellow angled-sulphur (Anteos maerula), which has angled wings, statira sulphur (Aphrissa statira), and other sulphurs, which are much smaller.From Wikipedia via iNaturalist — article, CC BY-SA.
Cloudless Sulphur by state
| State | Observations | Peak month | Main season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 8,695 | October | Aug–Nov |
| Florida | 5,530 | September | Aug–Oct |
| Alabama | 3,419 | September | Aug–Oct |
| Georgia | 3,194 | September | Aug–Oct |
| North Carolina | 2,969 | September | Aug–Oct |
| California | 2,213 | September | Apr–Jan |
| Tennessee | 1,852 | August | Jul–Oct |
| South Carolina | 1,624 | September | Aug–Oct |
| Virginia | 1,369 | September | Aug–Oct |
| Missouri | 1,157 | September | Aug–Oct |
| Louisiana | 1,054 | September | Jul–Dec |
| Arizona | 988 | September | Aug–Oct |
| Illinois | 733 | August | Jul–Oct |
| Maryland | 721 | September | Aug–Oct |
| Arkansas | 713 | August | Aug–Oct |
| Ohio | 676 | August | Jul–Sep |
| Mississippi | 667 | September | Jul–Oct |
| Oklahoma | 626 | September | Aug–Oct |
| Kentucky | 525 | August | Aug–Oct |
| New Jersey | 454 | September | Aug–Sep |
| Kansas | 248 | September | Aug–Oct |
| Pennsylvania | 220 | August | Jul–Oct |
| New York | 182 | September | Aug–Sep |
| Indiana | 174 | September | Aug–Oct |
| Delaware | 165 | August | Aug–Sep |
| New Mexico | 61 | August | Aug–Oct |
| District of Columbia | 50 | September | Aug–Oct |
| Connecticut | 44 | September | Aug–Sep |
| Massachusetts | 30 | September | Aug–Oct |
| Iowa | 22 | August | Aug–Oct |
| West Virginia | 17 | October | Oct–Oct |
| Nebraska | 16 | September | Aug–Oct |
| Rhode Island | 12 | September | Aug–Sep |
| Michigan | 8 | August | May–Oct |
| Wisconsin | 5 | October | Aug–Oct |
Main season = months with at least 30% of the state's peak-month count.
Related butterflies (Whites, Yellows, and Sulphurs)
Small White
Orange Sulphur
Sleepy Orange
Checkered White
Dainty Sulphur
Little Yellow
Clouded Sulphur
Southern Dogface
Photography tips
- Butterflies are sluggish on cool mornings — the best time for close approaches.
- Keep the sensor parallel to the wings for edge-to-edge sharpness.
- Nectar plants in bloom are reliable places to wait.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Cloudless Sulphur?
Nationally, September has the most observations, with the main season from August to October.
Where is Cloudless Sulphur most often seen?
The most observations come from Texas, Florida, Alabama.