Orange Sulphur

Colias eurytheme

Summary 5

The Orange Sulphur (Colias eurytheme), also known as the Alfalfa Butterfly and in its larval stage as Alfalfa Caterpillar, is a butterfly of the family Pieridae, where it belongs to the lowland group of "clouded yellows and sulphurs" subfamily Coliadinae. It is found throughout North America from southern Canada to Mexico, but is absent from the central and southeastern USA.

North american ecology (us and canada) 6

Resident throughout the US and southern Canada, migratory to the north (Scott 1986). Habitats are OPEN AREAS at all altitudes. Host plants are usually herbaceous including many species, but mostly in one family, LEGUMINOSAE. Eggs are laid on the host plant singly. Individuals overwinter as 3rd or 4th instar larvae. There are multiple flights each year with the approximate flight time FEB1-NOV1 depending on latitude (Scott 1986).

Sources and Credits

  1. (c) Dan Mullen, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), http://www.flickr.com/photos/8583446@N05/6137123754
  2. (c) 1999 California Academy of Sciences, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?seq_num=23293&one=T
  3. (c) Jan Dauphin, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://www.thedauphins.net/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/.pond/21-OrangeSulphur-5.jpg.w300h357.jpg
  4. (c) Jan Dauphin, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://www.thedauphins.net/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/.pond/20-OrangeSulphur-3.jpg.w300h276.jpg
  5. (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colias_eurytheme
  6. (c) Leslie Ries, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://eol.org/data_objects/19605551

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