(Colias alexandra)
Sulphurs
Appearance: Above, male bright yellow with narrow black border on both wings and small cell spot; female lighter yellow, sometimes white, with forewing border faded or absent. Below, hindwing a uniform pale green-gray with a central white spot without colored rim. The underside of the forewing is somewhat more yellow. There is a small black bar just inward from mid-point of the leading edge of the forewing.
Wingspan: Medium; 1 1/2 to 2 inches.
Habitat: A variety of habitats including grasslands, clearings, wet meadows in woodlands and forest edges; foothills, montane to treeline.
Flight Times: May to September; one brood. Late-stage caterpillars overwinter.
Larval Foodplant: Golden banner, milk vetches, clovers, lupines, and other legumes.
Did You Know…
Named for Queen Alexandra, wife of Edward VII of England. Her name was also used to describe the world’s largest butterfly, Queen Alexandra’s Birdwing of Papua New Guinea (Pyle, 1981).
