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Photo#1901286
Orange Sulphur? - Colias - female

Orange Sulphur? - Colias - Female
Bullitt County, Kentucky, USA
October 1, 2020
This Sulphur had a gray tip on it's wing when opened. Orange Sulphur male?

C. eurytheme probably
I'm not absolutely certain, but am pretty sure that this C. eurytheme. It appears to me be an albanistic female with perhaps just a hint of yellowish pigment? [I suspect it wasn't as yellow as it looks in the photo?]

Glassberg's statement about orange coloring is perhaps a reasonable rule of thumb, but when it comes down to it, it is sometimes false. C. eurytheme can be totally laking in orange pigment (except for usualy the spot in the middle of the hind wing), and C. philodice frequently have an orange flush toward the lower edge of the middle of the front wing (especially on the under side). They still "look" different, and aren't all that difficult to tell apart when looking at populations in the field. However, a photo or two of an individual can often be very difficult to identify. And, cold-weather expressions of both species (often dwarf, often with less orange, often with paler yellow, often with dark scaling below where it wouldn't be on "normal" individuals, often with narrower dark borders, and often with "off"-shaped wings) can be difficult too.

And, of course that ignores all the other species of Colias found in the North (mostly in Canada though) and the West.

I should add, this one isn't a cold-affected dwarf.

Question:
When the wings were open, did you see any orange color on top? This is to help differentiate from Clouded Sulphur.

The location of the black dots on your ventral FW view does look like Orange Sulphur, but others may disagree. And to be conservative for the guide, I would hate to make that call based on this view alone.

Regarding sex: Males of both Orange Sulphur and Clouded Sulphur have dark borders on both wings on dorsal side. Females have light spots or light oval patches within the dark borders (more noticeable on the FW above).

 
Orange or Clouded?
Thank you for the information. Unfortunately I was unable to see any orange color on top or just failed to notice. Not sure.
Feel free to frass if unsure.

Thanks, Dan

 
No worries
Dan,
I think it is Orange, but I'm sort of unsure. We can just leave it at Genus. There are experts who may stop by who could ID this 100% at a quick glance, but not me.
Especially in the southeast, the Orange Sulphurs have less orange and may look like Clouded. Glassberg says in most of the U.S. any Colias sulphur with any orange above will be an Orange Sulphur.
Thanks, Roy

Moved
Moved from ID Request.

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