Butterflies and Moths of North America

collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera

Christina Sulphur
Colias christina W.H. Edwards, 1863


Family: Pieridae
Subfamily: Coliadinae
Identification: Upperside of male bright yellow with wide black border; orange morph is orange with yellow at costa and wing bases. Female pale yellow to greenish white with border blurry, incomplete, or absent; orange morph dull orange with wide black borders and dark veins. Underside of both sexes with pink wing fringes and golden yellow hindwing; orange morph green-gray to orange; both with dark overscales. Note that Krauth\'s Sulphur (Colias krauthi) of Ferris is included here.
Wing Span: 1 3/4 - 2 1/2 inches (4.5 - 6.3 cm).
Life History: Males patrol in valleys or open areas near host plants for females. Females lay eggs singly on host plant leaves. Late-stage caterpillars hibernate.
Flight: May-September, mainly one flight (June-July).
Caterpillar Hosts: Plants of the pea family (Fabaceae) including showy locoweed.
Adult Food:
Habitat: Open areas including meadows, sagebrush flats, conifer forest openings, power-line cuts, prairies.
Range: Alaska south through prairie provinces of central Canada n. Wyoming and w. South Dakota.
Conservation: Some populations affected by grazing and fire suppression.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery
Management Needs: Not reported.
Comments: NULL
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