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Species Colias eurytheme - Orange Sulphur - Hodges#4210

Cloudless Sulpher - Colias eurytheme Sulphur - Colias eurytheme Colias query from NY - Colias eurytheme - male sulphur - Colias eurytheme Could it be Colias eurytheme ? - Colias eurytheme Orange Sulphur - Colias eurytheme - female Orange sulphur butterfly - Colias eurytheme Colias eurytheme - female
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Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
Superfamily Papilionoidea (Butterflies and Skippers)
Family Pieridae (Whites, Sulphurs, Yellows)
Subfamily Coliadinae (Sulphurs and Yellows)
Genus Colias
Species eurytheme (Orange Sulphur - Hodges#4210)
Hodges Number
4210
Other Common Names
Alfalfa Sulphur
Explanation of Names
Colias eurytheme Boisduval, 1852
Size
40-65 mm Wingspan(1)
Identification
Similar to C. philodice; generally larger; orange instead of yellow (most noticeable on upper surface), and wider dark wing margins.(1). C. eurytheme is also less likely to have grayish scaling on the lower surface and tends to have broader wings with slightly more angular shapes.

The white form females of the two species are the same color, but those of eurytheme can often be separated from the white form female philodice by the narrower dark HW outer border. In philodice the HW border will usually not have any pale spots included, while eurytheme most often has included spots that are often isolated from the rest of the wing. This is variable in both species, but is often a helpful "rule of thumb".

Example white-form female lacking any orange:
Range
CA-FL-ME-BC / Mex., Cuba - MPG
not as far north as C. philodice.(1)
Season
flies to Dec. in many states - MPG
It overwinters as larva or pupa
Food
Larvae feed on alfalfa, clover, and other legumes.(1)
Print References
Arnett & Jacques (1)
Works Cited
1.Simon & Schuster's Guide to Insects
Dr. Ross H. Arnett, Dr. Richard L. Jacques. 1981. Fireside.