Clouded and orange sulphurs exhibit chromosome polymorphism - genes controlling female mate choice, male pheremones, male ultraviolet reflection (in orange sulphurs only), orange or yellow color, width of the black forewing border size, and the rate of development are all located on the X chromosome, termed a "supergene". It has been found that nearly all differences between the two species occurs on this X chromosome. Female hybrids preferably mate with males of their fathers' species (orange sulphurs), thus the X chromosome stays with the appropriate species.
The genus Colis is believed to be named after Kolias, the epithet of Venus (Greek mythology). The species may have been named after the sea nymph Phyllodoce.
Colias philodice philodice has had several common names, including clouded sulphur, bordered yellow butterfly, common sulphur, yellow clover butterfly, yellow sulphur, mud puddle butterfly and yellow butterfly. The subspecies C. philodice vitabunda is known as the lively clouded sulphur.
Clouded sulphurs are widespread across North America in the Nearctic region, occurring from the Arctic south to Guatamala. The subspecies Colias philodice vitabunda is found only in northern British Columbia to the Alaskan tundra.
Biogeographic Regions: nearctic (Native )
The larval foodplants for clouded sulphurs are numerous, and most are members of the legume family. Species include milk vetch (Astralagus), clovers (Trifolium), wild indigo (Baptisia tinctoria), wild pea (Lathyrus leucanthus), trefoil (Lotus), lupine (Lupinus perinnis), alfalfa (Medicago), white sweet clover (Melilotus alba), and vetch (Vicia).
Nectar plants are varied and include alfalfa (Medicago sativa), clovers (Trifolium), milkweed (Asclepias), self-heal (Prunella vulgaris), and teasel (Dipsacus sylvestris).
Plant Foods: leaves; nectar
Primary Diet: herbivore (Folivore , Nectarivore )
Clouded sulphurs function as prey for a variety of species, and also serve as minor pollinators.
Ecosystem Impact: pollinates
Clouded sulphurs provide aesthetic benefits to humans, and many people enjoy watching them.
Positive Impacts: ecotourism
This species is sometimes thought of as a pest species due to the larvae feeding on crop plants.
Negative Impacts: crop pest
The last larvae of the year are reported to overwinter in the third stage (sometimes fourth). Other reports state that the clouded sulphurs overwinter as crysalis.
Development - Life Cycle: metamorphosis
This species is common rangewide and receives no special protections.
US Federal List: no special status
CITES: no special status
State of Michigan List: no special status
Clouded sulphurs use visual cues and pheremones to communicate with each other.
Communication Channels: visual ; chemical
Other Communication Modes: pheromones
Perception Channels: visual ; tactile ; chemical
Clouded sulphurs are best adapted to open areas such as moist meadows, lawns, and alfalfa and clover fields.
Habitat Regions: temperate ; terrestrial
Terrestrial Biomes: savanna or grassland
Other Habitat Features: suburban ; agricultural
In Colorado, clouded sulphurs lived an average of 2-3 days, with the longest surviving 2 weeks. In Colorado, females lived 17 days and males 24 days (average 2-7 days). In Virginia, males lived for 17 days.
Range lifespan
Status: wild: 2 to 24 days.
Average lifespan
Status: wild: 5 days.
Typical lifespan
Status: wild: 2 to 7 days.
Average lifespan
Status: wild: 5 days.
Adults are yellow, with submarginal dots on the undersides of the hindwings. There is one silver spot in the center of the hindwing with two red rings around it, and often there is a satellite spot. Females have a narrow black forewing border with light spots. The subspecies C. philodice vitabunda has mostly white females. The average wing measurement of female clouded sulphurs is 2.6 cm, and ranges from 2.2 cm - 3.1 cm; males range from 2.2 cm - 3.2 cm with an average of 2.4 cm. Clouded Sulphurs may hybridize with orange sulphurs (Colias eurydice).
Clouded sulphur eggs are cream colored when first deposited, then turn crimson in a day or two. The larvae are green, sometimes with pale yellow sides, with raised points and a faint green mid-dorsal line. There is a white lateral band on the larval body.
The pupa is green with yellowish white and black mottling and a yellow band.
Range wingspan: 2.2 to 3.2 cm.
Average wingspan: 2.5 cm.
Other Physical Features: ectothermic ; heterothermic ; bilateral symmetry
Sexual Dimorphism: sexes colored or patterned differently
Predators of all life stages of butterflies include a variety of insect parasatoids. These wasps or flies will consume the body fluids first, and then eat the internal organs, ultimately killing the butterfly. Those wasps that lay eggs inside the host body include species in many different groups: Ichneumonidae, Braconidae, Pteromalidae, Chalcidoidea, Encyrtidae, Eulophidae, Scelionidae, Trichogrammatidae, and others. Trichogrammatids live inside the eggs, and are smaller than a pinhead. Certain flies (Tachinidae, some Sarcophagidae, etc.) produce large eggs and glue them onto the outside of the host larva, where the hatching fly larvae then burrow into the butterfly larvae. Other flies will lays many small eggs directly on the larval hostplants, and these are ingested by the caterpillars as they feed.
Most predators of butterflies are other insects. Praying mantis, lacewings, ladybird beetles, assasin bugs, carabid beetles, spiders, ants, and wasps (Vespidae, Pompilidae, and others) prey upon the larvae. Adult butterflies are eaten by robber flies, ambush bugs, spiders, dragonflies, ants, wasps (Vespidae and Sphecidae), and tiger beetles. The sundew plant is known to catch some butterflies.
There are also many vertebrate predators including lizards, frogs, toads, birds, mice, and other rodents.
Known Predators:
The mating system of clouded sulphurs has been well documented. As the male flies toward the female, she will land and the male will proceed to buffet his wings against her body, releasing pheremones that are produced in a gland in a patch on the upper surface of the hindwing. If the female detects the pheremone and it activates her responses, she will lower her abdomen and the pair will mate. Females will also approach males when they are ready to mate.
As a male clouded sulphur flies toward a female, she will land and the male will proceed to buffet his wings against her body, releasing special communication chemicals (pheromomes) that are produced in a gland in a patch on the upper surface of the hindwing. If the female detects the pheremone and it activates her responses, she will lower her abdomen and the pair will mate. Females will also approach males when they are ready to mate.
Females that are less than one hour old cannot differentiate between the pheremones of clouded and orange sulphurs. It is during this time that the most frequent hybridization occurs. Usually, only sterile females are produced. When there is a female clouded sulphur and a male orange sulphur, viable offspring are produced.
There are several broods of clouded sulphurs from spring until fall, the actual number depending on the latitude. Colias philodice vitabunda flies mainly from June until mid-July.
Breeding interval: Clouded suphurs are univoltine.
Breeding season: Breeding occurs from spring through fall, depending on the latitude.
Key Reproductive Features: seasonal breeding ; sexual ; fertilization (Internal ); oviparous
Butterflies do not exhibit parental care.
Parental Investment: no parental involvement
Colias philodice, the common sulphur or clouded sulphur, is a North American butterfly in the family Pieridae, subfamily Coliadinae.
This species is a typical member of the genus. Both genders typically have pale yellow wings above with no traces of orange, unlike its close cousin the orange sulphur which may also be yellowish. Males have clean borders, while females have yellow dots within this region. Females sometimes exhibit a white form known as alba.
The underside of the male's wings is yellow while the female's is yellow or greenish white, and both have a doubled hindwing spot trimmed in brownish red. The hindwings show a series of four small red spots along the outer third portion, a trait that distinguishes the other North America species such as Colias interior, with exception of the orange sulphur which also shows them. Its wingspan is 32 to 54 mm.[2]
This species has white form alba which can be very common in some populations, while rare in others. It can be confused with other white forms of Colias particularly that of Colias eurytheme. It can often be distinguished by the border pattern of both wings, though some individuals are impossible to separate without the presence of other "normal" specimens. Though they differ in flight style, the white forms of Colias may be confused with other pierids such as Pieris rapae and Pontia protodice.[3]
White form males are also known, but they are exceedingly rare in this species.[4]
This butterfly may be encountered in fields, lawns, alfalfa or clover fields, meadows, and roadsides. Swarms of these butterflies will congregate at mud puddles. They range over most of North America with the exception of Labrador, Nunavut, and northern Quebec.[2] They migrate every year.[5]
Clouded sulphurs nectar at flowers such as milkweed (Asclepias species), butterfly bush (Buddleja species), coneflower (Dracopis, Echinacea, and Rudbeckia), alfalfa (Medicago sativa), dandelion (Taraxacum species), clover (Trifolium species), and tall verbena (Verbena bonariensis) and many more.
Ground-plum (Astragalus crassicarpus), Platte River milk-vetch (Astragalus plattensis), soybean (Glycine max), deer vetch (Lotus species), alfalfa (Medicago sativa), white sweet clover (Melilotus albus), black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia), white clover (Trifolium repens), red clover (Trifolium pratense), vetch (Vicia species)
The pale yellow eggs are laid singly on the host plants. The eggs turn red after a few days, then turn gray just before they hatch. The young larvae will eat one another. The larva is green with a white stripe running along each side of the body. The white stripes may contain bars or lines of pink or orange. The green chrysalis hangs up right by a silken girdle. Just before eclosion, the chrysalis turns yellow with a pink "zipper".
Male nectaring on red clover
Male showing red fringe
Female specimen
Underside of a white form female
Colias philodice, the common sulphur or clouded sulphur, is a North American butterfly in the family Pieridae, subfamily Coliadinae.
