Identification, Images, & Information
For Insects, Spiders & Their Kin
For the United States & Canada

Species Colias occidentalis - Western Sulphur - Hodges#4212

Colias 01 - Colias occidentalis - female Western Sulphur - Colias occidentalis - female Coliadinae 7-28-11 01a - Colias occidentalis Sulphur - Colias occidentalis - male Unknown Sulphur in an unusual location - Colias occidentalis - 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 occidentalis (Western Sulphur - Hodges#4212)
Hodges Number
4212
Explanation of Names
Colias occidentalis Scudder, 1862
Identification
Very close to Christina and Alexandra Sulphurs. Characters much the same as for Christina Sulphur, but upper side usually bright yellow, at most flushed orange. Found further southwest, but overlapping in Rockies in US.
Range
mostly n CA to s BC - Map (MPG)
Season
mostly Jun-Aug (MPG)
Food
Larval host include Milk Vetch, Golden Banner, and other Fabaceae.