(Colias meadii)
Sulphurs
Appearance: Below, male and female primarily green with orange disk on forewing and a median white spot, circled in pink on hindwing. Wing fringes are pink. Above, males bright orange; females a more subdued orange; both with dark borders. White females are rare.
Wingspan: Small; 1 1/4 to 1 5/8 inches.
Habitat: Rocky slopes and meadows near treeline and alpine tundra; sub-alpine, alpine.
Flight Times: July to August; one brood. Third-instar caterpillar overwinters.
Larval Foodplant: Plants in the pea family, including clovers, alpine milk vetch, and subalpine locoweed.
Did You Know…
This is an ice age relic with a close relative along the coast of the Arctic Ocean (Opler). If a flash of orange passes you on the alpine tundra, flying low and fast, it is most probably a Mead’s Sulphur.
