Colias occidentalis explained

Colias occidentalis, the western sulphur or golden sulphur, is a butterfly in the family Pieridae found in North America. Its range includes the Pacific Northwest and parts of British Columbia.^[1]

The flight period is from late May until early July.^[1] Its habitats include ocean bluffs, forest openings, mountain slopes, and subalpine meadows.^[2]

Its wingspan ranges from 50mm to 53mm.^[1]

Its larvae feed on flowers like the Vicia spp., Lupinus spp., Lathyrus spp., and Thermopsis spp.^{[1] [3]}

Subspecies

Listed alphabetically.^[3]

• C. o. chrysomelas H. Edwards, 1877 (California, Oregon)
• C. o. occidentalis (British Columbia, Washington, Oregon)
• C. o. sullivani Hammond & McCorkle, 2003 (Oregon)

External links

• Colias occidentalis images at Consortium for the Barcode of Life

Notes and References

1. http://www.cbif.gc.ca/spp_pages/butterflies/species/WesternSulphur_e.php Western Sulphur
2. Web site: Colias occidentalis. 2022-02-12. explorer.natureserve.org.
3. http://www.nic.funet.fi/pub/sci/bio/life/insecta/lepidoptera/ditrysia/papilionoidea/pieridae/coliadinae/colias/index.html Colias