 Wingspan
Male: 52 - 58mm
Female: 54 - 62mm |
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Clouded Yellow
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Colias croceus
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Geoffroy, 1785 |
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Ref: 1545 |
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| Superfamily: | Papilionoidea |
| Family: | Pieridae |
| Subfamily: | Coliadinae |
| Genus: | Colias |
| Subgenus: | |
| Species: | croceus |
| Forms: | helice (Hubner) |
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Male |
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Male Underside |
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Female |
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Female Underside |
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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. Form: helice The form helice occurs in the female, where the individual is a creamy white, rather than yellow, in colour.
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 has been found in both Scotland and Ireland in good years.
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. 
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.
Form: 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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Clouded Yellow
f. [i:2k39lzc3]helice[/i:2k39lzc3]
upperside
Birling Gap 25th September 2009
Low quality Video screen capture
Photo © millerd
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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.
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.
Description to be completed
Description to be completed
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:
- A Natural History of British Butterflies, by F.W.Frohawk.
- British and Irish Butterflies, by Adrian M. Riley
- South's British Butterflies, by T.G.Howarth (which is based extensively on the classic work, "The Butterflies of the British Isles", by Richard South).
- The Butterflies of Britain and Ireland, by Jeremy Thomas and Richard Lewington.
- The Millennium Atlas of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland, by Jim Asher, Martin Warren, Richard Fox, Paul Harding, Gail Jeffcoate, Stephen Jeffcoate.
- The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland Volume 7 (1) Hesperiidae to Nymphalidae (the Butterflies), by A. Maitland Emmet and John Heath (editors).
- The State of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland, Richard Fox, Jim Asher, Tom Brereton, David Roy and Martin Warren.
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![Clouded Yellow - imago - Portugal - 04-Sep-06 [Colin Baker]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/043934591750583c811c4e9afb9143eb.jpg "Clouded Yellow - imago - Portugal - 04-Sep-06 [Colin Baker]")
![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 - form - Carymoor - 03-Aug-06 [Jules Cross]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/856e51d1c5b0d60cd89a0648e5e2975a.jpg "Clouded Yellow - form - Carymoor - 03-Aug-06 [Jules Cross]")
![Clouded Yellow 2 [Clive Burrows]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/6a7e24615c24f67fbfa17b5eb37ddd27.jpg "Clouded Yellow 2 [Clive Burrows]")
![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 - pupa - Unknown location - Unknown date [REARED] [Adrian Dexter]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/9416810d9cc1ad0ff25aa764a24718bc.jpg "Clouded Yellow - pupa - Unknown location - Unknown date [REARED] [Adrian Dexter]")
