Introduction
There are about 340 species of Pieridae found in the neotropical region, of which 70 are placed in the subfamily Coliadinae – the ‘sulphurs’ and ‘yellows’. Almost all Coliadinae species are nomadic or migratory in behaviour, so have wide ranges of distribution, and can be found across a variety of different habitats.
The genus Nathalis comprises of just 2 species – plauta which is found in Venezuela and Colombia; and iole which has a more northerly range. On the upperside both species are pale yellow with the apex and borders of the forewings dark brown, but iole additionally has a long dark bar stretching from the base of the forewing to almost meeting the black post-median spot.
Nathalis iole is distributed from the southern states of the USA to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta in Colombia. It also occurs in the Caribbean on Jamaica and Cuba.
Habitats
To be completed.
Lifecycle
The yellow skittle-shaped egg is laid singly on the upper surface of a leaf of the foodplant Florestina ( Asteraceae ). When young the larva rests on the top of the leaf, nibbling tiny holes out of it, but when older it rests on the stems and eats chunks from the edges.
The chrysalis is green and looks much like those of other Coliadinae, except that the palpi do not project. It is attached by the cremaster and a silken girdle to a woody stem, or sometimes to a wall or fence. Unusually the pupa is suspended, rather than adopting the head-upwards posture used by almost all other Pieridae.
Adult behaviour
Both sexes are nomadic, roaming across scrubby deserts and other open dry habitats. They nectar at a wide variety of flowers.