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The Clouded Yellow is primarily an immigrant to the UK, originating from north Africa and southern Europe, with numbers varying greatly from year to year – an estimated 36,000 butterflies appearing in one of the infrequent “Clouded Yellow” years in 1947. In more recent years, it has been shown that this species has successfully overwintered in the south of England. However, it is believed that the majority of individuals perish, since both larva and pupa of this continuously-brooded species are easily killed by damp and frost. In good years this species can produce up to 3 generations in the UK. In flight, this species is often mistaken for one of the commoner “whites”, but the orange-yellow colour is quite distinctive, even in flight, and unlike any other species. The Clouded Yellow has a distribution befitting a highly-migratory species, and can be found anywhere in the British Isles. Many immigrants remain near the coast where they feed, mate, and lay eggs. Others disperse inland and this species is found in both Scotland and Ireland in good years. Subspecies: Colias croceus croceus The nominate subspecies was first defined in Geoffroy (1785) as shown here (type locality: Paris, France). The British population is represented by this subspecies.
Form: Colias croceus croceus f. helice This form was first defined in Hübner (1779) as shown here and as shown in this plate (type locality: Not stated). The form helice occurs in the female, where the individual is a creamy white, rather than yellow, in colour.
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Male |
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Male Underside |
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Female
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![Clouded Yellow - imago - Swanwick - 30-Jul-05 [Andy Collins]](image_generator.php?src=phpBB/gallery/images/cache/6bfc6627054c22f05e7fb67ae3220b2b.jpg&r=223&g=246&b=216 "Clouded Yellow - imago - Swanwick - 30-Jul-05 [Andy Collins]") |
Female Underside
Photo © Andy Collins |
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The first immigrants of this species start to arrive to our shores in late May or early June, with much larger numbers appearing in July and August, as the offspring of the first arrivals mingle with new immigrants. Subspecies: Colias croceus croceus 
The chart(s) above have been correlated with the phenology plot below, taken from the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme. The blue line gives average counts over the full data set from 1976 to date, and the red line gives the average for the last year. 
This butterfly can be found in just about any open habitat in the countryside, including coastal cliffs, open downland, and fields containing the larval foodplants of Clovers, Lucerne and Bird's-foot Trefoil.
The primary larval foodplants are Clovers (various) (Trifolium spp.) and Lucerne (Medicago sativa). Bird's-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) is also used.
Adults feed primarily on Dandelion (Taraxacum agg.), Fleabane (Pulicaria dysenterica), Knapweeds (Centaurea spp.), Marjoram (Origanum vulgare), Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea), Thistles (Cirsium spp. and Carduus spp.) and Vetches (Vicia spp.).
This strong-flying butterfly always settles with its wings closed and so the dark borders on the uppersides of the wings are only visible when in flight. There is no elaborate courtship and, having mated, the female is subsequently able to lay an extraordinary number of eggs – up to 600 have been recorded from a single female. Subspecies: Colias croceus croceus
Form: Colias croceus croceus f. helice
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![Clouded Yellow - form - Carymoor - 03-Aug-06 [Jules Cross]](image_generator.php?src=phpBB/gallery/images/cache/856e51d1c5b0d60cd89a0648e5e2975a.jpg&r=223&g=246&b=216 "Clouded Yellow - form - Carymoor - 03-Aug-06 [Jules Cross]") |
Photo © Jules Cross
03-Aug-2006 |
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Description to be completed.
The skittle-shaped eggs are laid singly on the upperside of leaves of the foodplant. They are pale yellow when first laid, turning orange prior to hatching, and hatch in about a week.
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Photographed within minutes of being laid, in Switzerland on 20th October 2012
Photo © padfield
20-Oct-2012 |
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The rate of growth of the larva is greatly dependent on conditions, especially temperature. The duration of this stage is therefore highly variable, ranging from 3 to 6 weeks. There are 4 moults in total.
The pupa is attached to a foodplant stem by a silk girdle and the cremaster. This stage lasts 2 or 3 weeks.
Of the three species of Clouded Yellow found in the British Isles, the Clouded Yellow is both the commonest and the easiest to identify. When in flight, the orange appearance of the Clouded Yellow is unlike any other British butterfly. When settled, the lemon-coloured underside of the Clouded Yellow allows us to distinguish this species from Berger's Clouded Yellow which has a much paler underside. This diagnostic holds true even in the helice form of female Clouded Yellow where the orange colouring is replaced by a creamy white.
1. Clouded Yellow 2. Clouded Yellow (f. helice)
3. Berger's Clouded Yellow (male) 4. Berger's Clouded Yellow (female)
Of the three species of Clouded Yellow found in the British Isles, the Clouded Yellow is both the commonest and the easiest to identify. When in flight, the orange appearance of the Clouded Yellow is unlike any other British butterfly. When settled, the lemon-coloured underside of the Clouded Yellow allows us to distinguish this species from Pale Clouded Yellow which has a much paler underside. This diagnostic holds true even in the helice form of female Clouded Yellow where the orange colouring is replaced by a creamy white.
1. Clouded Yellow 2. Clouded Yellow (f. helice)
3. Pale Clouded Yellow (male) 4. Pale Clouded Yellow (female)
Click here to see the distribution of this species overlaid with specific site information. Alternatively, select one of the sites listed below.
The Clouded Yellow is one of the most-widespread species in Europe and is not a species of conservation concern. |
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From The State of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland and the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP) (2007 review).
The following links provide additional information on this butterfly.
The species description provided here has been derived from the author's own observations and the information contained in the following works:
- Asher (2001). Asher, J., Warren, M., Fox, R., Harding, P., Jeffcoate, G. and Jeffcoate, S.: The Millennium Atlas of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland. 2001.
- Fox (2006). Fox, R., Asher, J., Brereton, T., Roy, D. and Warren, M.: The State of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland. 2006.
- Frohawk (1914). Frohawk, F.W.: A Natural History of British Butterflies. 1914.
- Howarth (1973). Howarth, T.G.: South's British Butterflies. 1973.
- Nash (2012). Nash, D., Boyd, T. and Hardiman, D.: Ireland's Butterflies: A Review. 2012.
- Riley (2007). Riley, A.M.: British and Irish Butterflies: The Complete Identification, Field and Site Guide to the Species, Subspecies and Forms. 2007.
- South (1906). South, R.: The Butterflies Of The British Isles. 1906.
- Thomas & Lewington (2010). Thomas, J. and Lewington, R.: The Butterflies of Britain and Ireland. Edn.2. 2010.
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![Clouded Yellow, male - Mill Hill, West Sussex - 12.9.2010 [Colin Knight] 7](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/495415b2ef39759c4fa51fdad4728da1.jpg "Clouded Yellow, male - Mill Hill, West Sussex - 12.9.2010 [Colin Knight] 7")
![Clouded Yellow - imago - Swanwick - 30-Jul-05 [Andy Collins]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/6bfc6627054c22f05e7fb67ae3220b2b.jpg "Clouded Yellow - imago - Swanwick - 30-Jul-05 [Andy Collins]")
![Clouded Yellow, male - Mill Hill, West Sussex - 12.9.2010 [Colin Knight] 3](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/5e0a74d630caff0464315627e8ee9e3a.jpg "Clouded Yellow, male - Mill Hill, West Sussex - 12.9.2010 [Colin Knight] 3")
![Clouded Yellow, male - Mill Hill, West Sussex - 12.9.2010 [Colin Knight] 5](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/6b4e3d4c01779a241a83835cfe254bb1.jpg "Clouded Yellow, male - Mill Hill, West Sussex - 12.9.2010 [Colin Knight] 5")
![Clouded Yellow - form - Carymoor - 03-Aug-06 [Jules Cross]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/856e51d1c5b0d60cd89a0648e5e2975a.jpg "Clouded Yellow - form - Carymoor - 03-Aug-06 [Jules Cross]")
![Clouded Yellow - ovum - Portugal - 13-Sep-06 [Colin Baker]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/f348832593eb990cbd9be5a3b43c6de3.jpg "Clouded Yellow - ovum - Portugal - 13-Sep-06 [Colin Baker]")
![Clouded Yellow - ovum - Thatcham - 17-Jul-12 (1) [REARED]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/2a034f5254fb1d669a6a8b76a5dcbdd4.jpg "Clouded Yellow - ovum - Thatcham - 17-Jul-12 (1) [REARED]")
![Clouded Yellow - pupa - Unknown location - Unknown date [REARED] [Adrian Dexter]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/9416810d9cc1ad0ff25aa764a24718bc.jpg "Clouded Yellow - pupa - Unknown location - Unknown date [REARED] [Adrian Dexter]")
![Clouded Yellow - pupa - Thatcham - 31-Aug-12 (1) [REARED]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/ad27085d1d3eabb5b18a9e16d23c5745.jpg "Clouded Yellow - pupa - Thatcham - 31-Aug-12 (1) [REARED]")
