Mimosa yellow facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mimosa yellow
P. n. nise, Jamaica
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Pieridae
Genus:	Pyrisitia
Species:	P. nise
Binomial name
Pyrisitia nise (Cramer, [1775])
Synonyms
Papilio nise Cramer, [1775] Pieris neda Godart, 1819 Eurema nise Eurema neda Eurema sulla Weymer, 1890 Terias porteri d'Almeida, 1930 Terias joannisi Dufrane, 1947 Terias joannisi ab. minor Dufrane, 1947 Terias joannisi ab. marginata Dufrane, 1947 Terias joannisi ab. obliterata Dufrane, 1947 Terias tenella Boisduval, 1836 Terias nisella Felder, 1862 Terias perimede Prittwitz, 1865 Terias tenella ab. alcides d'Almeida, 1913 Terias tenella f. germana d'Almeida, 1921 Terias tenella f. jacarepaguana d'Almeida, 1921 Terias tenella f. panopea d'Almeida, 1921 Terias lepidula d'Almeida, 1921 Terias thymetus f. cordobensis Köhler, 1923 Terias tenella ab. cissa d'Almeida, 1928 Terias thymetus f. formosanus Jörgensen, 1935 Eurema larae f. ricardi Torre & Alayo, 1953 Terias nelphe R. Felder, 1869 Eurema venustula Staudinger, 1876 Terias linda Edwards, 1884 Terias neda f. fusca Giacomelli, 1915 Terias tenella ab. argia d'Almeida, 1928 Eurema frieda Baumann & Reissinger, 1969 Eurema frieda f. discopunctata Baumann & Reissinger, 1969

The mimosa yellow (scientific name: Pyrisitia nise) is a type of butterfly. It belongs to the Pieridae family, which is known for its yellow and white butterflies. This butterfly is famous for its bright yellow wings.

You can find the mimosa yellow in many places. It lives from Argentina in South America, all the way north to the Texas Gulf Coast and throughout central and southern Florida in the United States. Sometimes, it might even wander into central Texas, southeastern Arizona, or rarely, southern California, southern Colorado, and Kansas. These butterflies like to live in brushy areas at the edges of woodlands.

About the Mimosa Yellow Butterfly

What Does It Look Like?

The mimosa yellow butterfly is a medium-sized butterfly. Its wingspan (how wide it is when its wings are open) can be anywhere from 29 to 51 millimeters (about 1 to 2 inches). Both male and female mimosa yellows are yellow in color.

If you look closely at the top side of their front wings, you'll see thin black edges. Male butterflies usually don't have black edges on their hindwings, but female butterflies never have them.

What Do They Eat?

Adult mimosa yellow butterflies love to drink nectar from flowers. Nectar is a sweet liquid that gives them energy.

The young butterflies, called larvae (or caterpillars), have a special diet. They feed on a plant called Mimosa pudica. This plant is also known as the "sensitive plant" because its leaves fold up when you touch them!

When Can You See Them?

The mimosa yellow butterfly can be seen at different times of the year, depending on where it lives. In southern Florida, you might spot them from May to August. In southern Texas, they fly from September to November. If you're in tropical areas, you can see them flying all year round!

Different Types of Mimosa Yellows

Just like there can be different types of dogs or cats, there are also different types of mimosa yellow butterflies called subspecies. These are slightly different groups within the same species, often found in different places.

Here are some of the recognized subspecies:

• P. n. nise: Found in Jamaica.
• P. n. stygma: Lives in Peru and Ecuador.
• P. n. tenella: Found in Brazil (specifically Rio de Janeiro), Argentina, and Paraguay.
• P. n. larae: Lives in Cuba.
• P. n. nelphe: Found in Mexico and Panama.
• P. n. floscula: Lives in Bolivia, Argentina, and Peru.