A: I believe it is the pupal stage of the Cloudless Sulphur butterfly, Phoebis sennae. The cloudless Sulphur is widespread in the southern United States. Cloudless sulphurs may be found in all habitats when migrating, but breed in disturbed open areas where their caterpillar host plants and nectar plants are found. They have relatively long tongues and can reach the nectar of some tubular flowers that some other butterflies cannot (May 1992). In Florida, Cloudless sulphur butterflies frequently feed on the nectar from red morning-glories, scarlet creeper (Ipomoea hederifolia) and cypressvine (Ipomoea quamoclit), and also at scarlet sage, Salvia coccinea. Males sometimes drink from mud. At night, on dark, cloudy days, and during storms, adult cloudless surphurs roost singly on leaves. Before settling, they are very choosey of just the right place. An adult preparing to roost makes an erratic flight around a potential tree or shrub, settling briefly at times, then flying about some more, and typically selecting a yellow or reddish leaf within other leaves on which to finally stop. This behavior may help prevent attacks from predators, such as birds, that may also be perching nearby and watching the activity. Although the adults are brightly colored when flying, they seem to disappear against similarly colored leaves in the shade. The fall migration of cloudless sulphurs is the easiest to observe butterfly migration in the southeastern United States. On fine days in the fall, in the Southeast, any butterfly watcher driving an east-west road through open country will likely see these bright yellow butterflies crossing the road. Monarchs are migrating at the same time, but they generally fly too high to see and are heading for Mexico and hence may miss the Southeast. This information was taken from a UF/IFAS Entomology Department publication: http://entomology.ifas.ufl.edu/creatures/bfly/bfly2/cloudless_sulphur.htm

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