Colias Explained

Colias is a genus of butterflies in the family Pieridae. They are often called clouded yellows in the Palearctic and sulphurs (a name also used for other coliadine genera) in North America. The closest living relative is the genus Zerene,[1] which is sometimes included in Colias.

This genus occurs throughout the Holarctic, including the arctic regions. They are also found in South America, Africa, China and India. Their caterpillars feed on certain Fabaceae, for example vetches (Vicia). While most are thus beneficial by keeping weeds at bay, some occasionally become nuisance pests on crops like alfalfa. In some species, the wings of males have brilliant ultraviolet reflection, while those of females do not.[2] [3] Adults of both sexes have various colour forms.

Most if not all species of this genus, as usual for Coliadinae, do not sequester toxins or other noxious compounds from their food plants. They are therefore a well-loved prey item of insectivores as compared to Pieris of the related Pierinae. They make up this disadvantage by being more nimble and better able to evade attacks by would-be predators.[4]

Notable lepidopterologists who did many studies on this genus included Julius Röber, J. Malcolm Fawcett, George B. Johnson and Henry Rowland-Brown.

Systematics

Hybridization runs rampant in these polytypic and clinal[5] butterflies, confounding molecular phylogenetics studies. In general, cladistic analyses of only one type of data (particularly mtDNA sequences) cannot be considered reliable. Regardless, the evolutionary distance within some "species" is so large that cryptic speciation rather than (or in addition to) interbreeding seems to be the cause. For example, the Beringian populations traditionally assigned to the northern clouded yellow (C. hecla) could warrant recognition as a species; hybridization between North American and Asian populations seems to have played a role in their evolution, but as a whole they appear to be a rather old and distinct lineage.[6]

Species

Listed alphabetically:[7]

Distinguishing characteristics

Colias are usually some shade of yellow, orange or white. Their uppersides feature black borders (usually solid in males, often with pale spots in females). They always perch with wings closed, but upperside pattern may be seen faintly through the wing, or glimpsed in flight.[8]

Further reading

"Le genre Colias" provides distribution information in French.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Andrew V. Z. Brower . . Coliadinae . November 16, 2006 . August 7, 2008.
  2. M. L. Lim & D. Li . 2005 . Extreme ultraviolet sexual dimorphism in jumping spiders (Araneae: Salticidae) . . 89 . 3 . 397–406 . 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2006.00704.x. free .
  3. Web site: Andrew V. Z. Brower . . Colias . November 16, 2006 . August 7, 2008.
  4. Robert B. Srygley & Joel G. Kingsolver . 1998 . Red-wing blackbird reproductive behaviour and the palatability, flight performance, and morphology of temperate pierid butterflies (Colias, Pieris, and Pontia) . . 64 . 1 . 41–55 . 10.1111/j.1095-8312.1998.tb01532.x. free .
  5. Paul C. Hammond, 1990 Patterns of geographic variation and evolution in polytypic butterflies Journal of Research on the Lepidoptera 29(1-2):54-76.http://lepidopteraresearchfoundation.org/journals/29/PDF29/29-054.pdf
  6. Christopher W. Wheat & Ward B. Watt . 2008 . A mitochondrial-DNA-based phylogeny for some evolutionary-genetic model species of Colias butterflies (Lepidoptera, Pieridae) . . 47 . 3 . 893–902 . 10.1016/j.ympev.2008.03.013 . 18442929. 2008MolPE..47..893W .
  7. Web site: Colias Fabricius, 1807 . Markku Savela. Lepidoptera and some other life forms .
  8. Brock, J.P. & Kaufman, K. Kaufman Field Guide to Butterflies of North America. Houghton Mifflin, 2003, p. 60.

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