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Image of Mead's Sulphur
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Mead's Sulphur

Colias meadii Edwards 1871

University of Alberta Museums
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Conservation Status

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Not of concern.
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Cyclicity

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One brood, the flight peaking between early July to early August.
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Distribution

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There are several discontinuous populations of Mead's Sulphur from Tumbler Ridge, BC south to Colorado and extreme northern New Mexico (Layberry et al. 1998, Opler 1999). It occurs primarily in the front ranges of the Rockies.
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General Description

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The only other Alberta Colias with a dorsal orange colour that extends all the way to the forewing base is the Canada Sulphur (C. canadensis). The Canada Sulphur, however, has the pink outline of the underside discal spot smeared outwards, and is a brighter orange (not burnt-orange). Our populations are subspecies elis.
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Habitat

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Lush subalpine and alpine meadows.
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Life Cycle

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A description of the immature stages is summarized by Guppy & Shepard (2001). The yellow-green eggs are conical in shape. The mature larvae are dark yellowish-green and covered in short black hairs, with a yellow subdorsal and white lateral line. The pupae are yellow green with a dark dorsal line. It is possible that this species overwinters twice before reaching maturity.
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Trophic Strategy

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The larval host plants are not known in Canada. in Wyoming and Colorado, subspecies meadii feeds on legumes such as Astragalus and Trifolium (Guppy & Shepard 2001). There are no published reports of adult nectar sources.
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