| Sleepy Orange | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Pieridae |
| Genus: | Eurema |
| Species: | E. nicippe |
| Binomial name | |
| Eurema nicippe (Cramer, 1779) |
|
The Sleepy Orange (Eurema nicippe) is a North American butterfly in the family Pieridae.
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For a key to the terms used, see Lepidopteran glossary
The Sleepy Orange is a bright orange butterfly with the upper side of the wings having wide black borders. The forewing coastal margin has a small, narrow black spot. Some people think that the Sleepy Orange got its name from the black spot that looks like a closed eye; others say that the Sleepy Orange is a misnomer because, when disturbed, the butterfly has a very rapid flight. The underside of the wings varies seasonally: summer forms are bright yellow with brick red markings, while winter forms are browner and more heavily marked. It has a wingspan of 1 3/8 - 2 1/4 inches.
The Sleepy Orange may be found in or around old fields, roadsides, woods edges, swamps, wet meadows, open woodlands, margins of ponds, waterways, and valleys.
The eggs are pale greenish-yellow and turn red just before hatching. They are laid on the underside of the host plant leaves, or sometimes on flowers. The larva is fuzzy and grayish-green, with a whitish-yellow side stripe. The chrysalis varies from green to brownish black. Adult Sleepy Oranges migrate south to spend the winter. They have 2-4 broods per year.
Here are a list of host plants for the Sleepy Orange: