- Family: Pieridae
- Scientific name: Colias crocea
- English common name: Clouded Yellow
- Spanish common name: Colias común
- Portuguese common name: Borboleta maravilha
- Distribution: Southern and Central Europe to East Asia, North Africa
The Clouded Yellow – Colias crocea – Colias común is a fast flying butterfly identified by its medium size and mustard yellow colouring. They rarely show the upperwings when resting, which a have a dark, almost black border, widest at the tip and a dark spot on each forewing.
The under wing is yellow with a green tinge and a fine pink trim. There are ringed white spots (one large one small) on the central area of the hindwing.
They migrate northwards and may breed, but will not complete their lifecycle in colder climates.
There is a pale form in the females which is a greenish white with a yellow flush at the underwing tip.
The caterpillars of this species grow up to 3cm long, they are green, hairless, with a white to yellow horizontal line above the legs.
- Wing size: 46-54mm
- Altitude: Sea level to 1600m
- Flight time: March-October in two broods
- Over-wintering: Caterpillar
- Caterpillar food plant: Larvae feed on a variety of leguminous plants, namely Faboideae (Trifolium pratense, Medicago sativa, Medicago lappacea, Medicago hispida, Medicago polymorpha, Medicago sulcata, Vicia, Lotus, Onobrychis, Astragalus, Colutea arborescens, Hippocrepis, and Anthyllis species.
- Butterfly food plants: Adults feed primarily on nectar of thistles (Cirsium and Carduus are preferred.) Knapweeds (Centaurea), dandelion (Taraxacum), fleabane (Pulicaria dysenterica), marjoram (Origanum vulgare), ragwort (Senecio jacobaea), and vetches (Vicia).
Similar species: Mountain Clouded Yellow (Colias phicomone), Berger’s Clouded Yellow (Colias alfacariensis)
Butterflies of Iberia. These are included in the list of butterflies in Andalusia. Images taken in Andalucia, Southern Spain.
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