A small yellow butterfly with dark forewing borders. One of the most common and widespread butterflies in North America — visible in clover and alfalfa fields from spring through fall.
§ Quick facts
§ Encyclopedia
Colias philodice, the common sulphur or clouded sulphur, is a North American butterfly in the family Pieridae, subfamily Coliadinae.
Source: Wikipedia — Colias philodice Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
§ Identification
Field marks. Bright lemon-yellow wings with dark forewing borders.
Similar species. Orange Sulphur (orange-tinged). Cloudless Sulphur (larger).
Voice. N/A
§ Diet & behavior
Diet. Adults: nectar. Caterpillars: clovers, alfalfa, vetches.
Behavior. Migrates south in autumn. Multiple broods per year.
§ Range
Across most of North America
§ Habitat
Open habitats: pastures, meadows, alfalfa fields, lawns
§ Threats
Pesticide drift, loss of clover/alfalfa to row-crop expansion.
§ Conservation status
According to the IUCN Red List, the clouded sulphur is currently classified as Least Concern.
§ What helps
Plant clover in lawns. Skip pesticides. Maintain meadows.
§ Further reading
- Wikipedia — Colias philodice
- www.nwf.org — authoritative profile of Colias philodice
- iNaturalist · taxon 49459
- IUCN Red List — search for Colias philodice
- GBIF occurrence records
- Encyclopedia of Life — Colias philodice
§ Sources cited
- Butterflies and Moths of North America
- Xerces Society
- BugGuide
- iNaturalist
