''Colias alexandra'', the Queen Alexandra's sulphur, Alexandra sulphur, or ultraviolet sulfur, is a

butterfly Butterflies are insects in the macrolepidopteran clade Rhopalocera from the order Lepidoptera, which also includes moths. Adult butterflies have large, often brightly coloured wings, and conspicuous, fluttering flight. The group comprises ...

in the family

Pieridae The Pieridae are a large family of butterflies with about 76 genera containing about 1,100 species, mostly from tropical Africa and tropical Asia with some varieties in the more northern regions of North America and Eurasia.DeVries P. J. in Levi ...

found in western North America. Its range includes

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S ...

to the

Northwest Territories The Northwest Territories (abbreviated ''NT'' or ''NWT''; french: Territoires du Nord-Ouest, formerly ''North-Western Territory'' and ''North-West Territories'' and namely shortened as ''Northwest Territory'') is a federal territory of Canada. ...

and south to

Arizona Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States. It is the list of U.S. states and territories by area, 6th largest and the list of U.S. states and territories by population, 14 ...

and

New Mexico ) , population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano) , seat = Santa Fe, New Mexico, Santa Fe , LargestCity = Albuquerque, New Mexico, Albuquerque , LargestMetro = Albuquerque metropolitan area, Tiguex , Offi ...

.Queen Alexandra's Sulphur
Butterflies of Canada

Description

Wingspan is from 38 to 57 mm. In the male above similar to ''

Colias philodice ''Colias philodice'', the common sulphur or clouded sulphur, is a North American butterfly in the family Pieridae, subfamily Coliadinae. Description This species is a typical member of the genus. Both genders typically have pale yellow wings ...

'', but has more glossy yellow ground colour with orange-yellow tinge, particularly on the hindwing. The under surface, however, is very different in both sexes, namely silver grey on the hindwing with silvery median spot. The female is light yellow, has a small dark distal margin to the forewing or none at all, but black median spot, and is sometimes suffused with orange yellow.

Biology

Flight period is from mid-May until August. Larvae feed on ''

Thermopsis ''Thermopsis'' is a genus of legumes, native to temperate North America and east Asia. They are herbaceous perennials and are known as goldenbanners or false-lupines. Species ''Thermopsis'' comprises the following species: * '' Thermopsis alpi ...

'', ''

Astragalus ''Astragalus'' is a large genus of over 3,000 species of herbs and small shrubs, belonging to the legume family Fabaceae and the subfamily Faboideae. It is the largest genus of plants in terms of described species. The genus is native to te ...

'', ''

Lathyrus ''Lathyrus'' is a genus of flowering plants in the legume family Fabaceae, and contains approximately 160 species. Commonly known as peavines or vetchlings, they are native to temperate areas, with a breakdown of 52 species in Europe, 30 speci ...

'', ''

Oxytropis ''Oxytropis'' is a genus of plants in the legume family. It is one of three genera of plants known as locoweeds, and are notorious for being toxic to grazing animals. The other locoweed genus is the closely related ''Astragalus''. There are abo ...

'', and ''

Lupinus ''Lupinus'', commonly known as lupin, lupine, or regionally bluebonnet etc., is a genus of plants in the legume family Fabaceae. The genus includes over 199 species, with centers of diversity in North and South America. Smaller centers occur ...

'' species.''Colias''
at Markku Savela's ''Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms''

Subspecies

Listed alphabetically: *''C. a. alexandra'' (Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Alberta, Saskatchewan) *''C. a. apache'' Ferris, 1988 (Arizona, New Mexico) *''C. a. columbiensis'' Ferris, 1973 (British Columbia, Alberta, Washington, Idaho, Montana) *''C. a. edwardsii'' Edwards, 1870 (Nevada, California, Oregon, Idaho, Washington)

Taxonomy

''Colias alexandra'' and ''

Colias christina ''Colias christina'', the Christina sulphur, is a butterfly in the family Pieridae found in western North America. Its range includes the Yukon and Northwest Territories south through British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan to Wyoming, Montan ...

'' have in the past been considered

conspecific Biological specificity is the tendency of a characteristic such as a behavior or a biochemical variation to occur in a particular species. Biochemist Linus Pauling stated that "Biological specificity is the set of characteristics of living organ ...

. Ferris recognized them as separate species in studies, based on geographic distribution, habitat preferences, female wing pattern, and male ultraviolet wing patterns. ''Colias alexandra'' is also closely related to, and

sympatric In biology, two related species or populations are considered sympatric when they exist in the same geographic area and thus frequently encounter one another. An initially interbreeding population that splits into two or more distinct species s ...

with, '' Colias occidentalis''.Paul C. Hammond & David V. Mccorkle, 2003 A new desert subspecies of Colias occidentalis (Pieridae) from southeastern Oregon ''Journal of the Lepidopterists' Society'' 57(4),2003,274-27

/ref>

References

External links

''Colias alexandra'' images
at

Consortium for the Barcode of Life The Consortium for the Barcode of Life (CBOL) was an international initiative dedicated to supporting the development of DNA barcoding as a global standard for species identification. CBOL's Secretariat Office is hosted by the National Museum of ...

alexandra Butterflies of North America Butterflies described in 1863 Taxa named by William Henry Edwards {{pieridae-stub