Attributes of Colias occidentalis
Western Sulphur
Colias occidentalis Scudder, 1862
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.
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-August, mainly June-July.
Caterpillar Hosts: Plants of the pea family (Fabaceae) including vetch (Vicia angustifolia), sweet vetch (Hedysarum), lupines (Lupinus), and white sweet clover (Melilotus alba).
Adult Food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Open areas including meadows, sagebrush flats, conifer forest openings, power-line cuts.
Range: Extreme southern British Columbia and northwestern United States south to north coastal California and central Utah.
Conservation: Some populations affected by grazing and fire suppression.
NCGR: G3, G4 - Very rare or local throughout its range or found locally in a restricted range OR Apparently secure globally, though it might be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery. Subspecies chrysomelas is T2,T3 and is threatened by fire suppression, improper logging, and invasive alien weeds.
Management Needs: Not reported.
Taxonomy Notes:
Images of Colias occidentalis
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The map below displays all verified sighting records in the BAMONA database for this species. Each record is indicated with a yellow dot. The orange dots on the map provide access to information about the 400 most recently verified sightings of this species. In some instances, there are several records at the same location. Use the table view to access these records.
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The fifty most recently verified sightings are below. See more recently verified sightings of all species.
| Observation Date | Submitter | Region |
Verified Date |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Siskiyou County, California, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Humboldt County, California, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Trinity County, California, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Shasta County, California, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Mendocino County, California, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Glenn County, California, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Tehama County, California, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Lake County, California, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Glenn County, California, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Colusa County, California, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Sonoma County, California, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Napa County, California, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Solano County, California, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Del Norte County, California, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Boundary County, Idaho, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Bonner County, Idaho, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Kootenai County, Idaho, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Shoshone County, Idaho, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Latah County, Idaho, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Clearwater County, Idaho, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Nez Perce County, Idaho, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Idaho County, Idaho, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Adams County, Idaho, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Boise County, Idaho, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Elmore County, Idaho, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Lemhi County, Idaho, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Owyhee County, Idaho, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Franklin County, Idaho, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Lincoln County, Montana, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Flathead County, Montana, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Glacier County, Montana, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Sanders County, Montana, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Lake County, Montana, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Mineral County, Montana, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Missoula County, Montana, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Ravalli County, Montana, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Granite County, Montana, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Powell County, Montana, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Lewis And Clark County, Montana, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Cascade County, Montana, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Broadwater County, Montana, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Deer Lodge County, Montana, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Silver Bow County, Montana, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Beaverhead County, Montana, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Jefferson County, Montana, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Judith Basin County, Montana, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Golden Valley County, Montana, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Stillwater County, Montana, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Yamhill County, Oregon, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details | |
| January 01, 1950 | legacy.reporter | Marion County, Oregon, United States | December 31, 2004 | Details |
