Wildflower Archive
Sleepy orange (Abaeis nicippe)
Don Loarie · CC BY (iNaturalist)

Pollinator

Sleepy orange

Abaeis nicippe

A warm orange sulphur of the South, bordered in black.

Family
Pieridae (whites and sulphurs)
Wingspan
1.4 to 2.25 in (3.5 to 5.7 cm)
Flight season
Much of the year in the South
Range
Southern and central United States
Caterpillar food
Partridge pea and sennas
Conservation
Secure and widespread

The sleepy orange is a bright orange butterfly edged with black, its name from the small dark mark on the forewing that suggests a closed eye. It is common across the warm South.

It flies through much of the year, wandering north in summer, and gathers at damp ground and open flowers.

Sleepy orange caterpillar
The green caterpillar feeds on partridge pea and sennas. Jeff Niznik · CC BY-SA (iNaturalist)

Caterpillars feed on partridge pea and sennas; a native partridge pea will host them.

Plants for the sleepy orange

2 caterpillar host plants and 23 documented nectar plants. Pick a role, then narrow with the filters below.

25 plants

Nectar
Common Sunflower1 of 2
Common Sunflower Helianthus annuus
Nectar
Purple passionflower1 of 2
Purple passionflower Passiflora incarnata
Nectar
American trumpet vine1 of 2
American trumpet vine Campsis radicans
Nectar
Butterfly milkweed1 of 2
Butterfly milkweed Asclepias tuberosa
Nectar
Wild bergamot1 of 3
Wild bergamot Monarda fistulosa
Nectar
Buttonbush1 of 2
Buttonbush Cephalanthus occidentalis
Nectar
Firewheel1 of 3
Firewheel Gaillardia pulchella
Nectar
Pinkladies1 of 2
Pinkladies Oenothera speciosa
Nectar
False sunflower1 of 3
False sunflower Heliopsis helianthoides
Nectar
New England aster1 of 2
New England aster Symphyotrichum novae-angliae
Host
Partridge pea1 of 2
Partridge pea Chamaecrista fasciculata
Nectar
Autumn sage1 of 2
Autumn sage Salvia greggii
Nectar
Pickerelweed1 of 2
Pickerelweed Pontederia cordata
Nectar
Lemon beebalm
Lemon beebalm Monarda citriodora
Nectar
Maximilian sunflower1 of 3
Maximilian sunflower Helianthus maximiliani
Nectar
Stokes' aster1 of 2
Stokes' aster Stokesia laevis
Nectar
Fivespot1 of 2
Fivespot Nemophila maculata
Nectar
Dorr's Sage Complex1 of 2
Dorr's Sage Complex Salvia dorrii
Nectar
Narrowleaf mountainmint
Narrowleaf mountainmint Pycnanthemum tenuifolium
Nectar
Rose vervain1 of 2
Rose vervain Glandularia canadensis
Host
Sensitive pea1 of 2
Sensitive pea Chamaecrista nictitans
Nectar
Rocky Mountain zinnia1 of 2
Rocky Mountain zinnia Zinnia grandiflora
Nectar
Hoary Mountainmint
Hoary Mountainmint Pycnanthemum incanum
Nectar
Engelmann daisy1 of 2
Engelmann daisy Engelmannia peristenia
Nectar
Texas Sage
Texas Sage Salvia texana

Sources