Bug FAQGiant Sulphur
Colias gigantea · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Pieridae
Also called: Great Northern Sulphur
The giant sulphur butterfly has a wingspan of roughly 37 to 55 mm (1.5 to 2.2 in). It lives in tundra and willow bogs across Alaska, Canada, and parts of the northwestern United States, flying from June to early August.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Giant sulphur is a North American butterfly in the Pieridae family.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Its wingspan ranges from about 37 to 55 mm (1.5 to 2.2 in).
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It inhabits tundra and willow bogs.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Caterpillars feed on willow (Salix) species, while adults drink nectar from flowers.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are active from June through early August.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
The flight period runs from June until early August.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
Its range includes Alaska, stretches across Canada to the east coast, and reaches Wyoming, Montana, and Oregon.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 6 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Alaska, Wyoming, Montana, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When can I see giant sulphur butterflies?
They are on the wing from June to early August.
Source: Wikipedia
Where does the giant sulphur live?
It lives in tundra and willow bog habitats across Alaska, Canada, and parts of the northwestern United States.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Pieridae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colias_gigantea
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.