(Colias eurytheme)
Sulphurs
Appearance: Above, male yellow with orange tinge on trailing edge of forewing; female also has an orange flush on forewing, but may be more greenish-white or even white. Both have wide black wing borders; solid in male, female black border surrounds light spots. Both have dark median cell spot toward the leading edge of the forewing. Below, both greenish-yellow with a silver or white hindwing spot trimmed with dark concentric rings, sometimes with a smaller “satellite” spot above. Very variable. Flight is erratic, but direct.
Wingspan: Medium; 1 1/2 to 2 3/4 inches.
Habitat: Widespread in clover and alfalfa fields, meadows, parks, road edges; plains, foothills, montane, alpine.
Flight Times: April through October; multiple broods.
Larval Foodplant: Legumes, including alfalfa, clovers and vetches.
Did You Know…
Caterpillars overwinter in the chrysalis stage. Orange Sulphurs occasionally hybridize with Clouded Sulphurs and some individuals are extremely difficult to identify. While some agriculturists consider them a pest, they are thought to provide pollination services “free of charge.”
