Mead's Sulphur - Hodges#4213
Colias meadii
This record describes Colias meadii (species). Recorded family: Pieridae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
Underside greenish-yellow, white spot on hindwing circled in red.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths)
- Superfamily
- Papilionoidea
- Family
- Pieridae (Whites, Sulphurs, Yellows)
- Subfamily
- Coliadinae
- Genus
- Colias
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Geographic Range
Rocky Mountains, Alberta south to Colorado.
Diet and Behavior
Diet: Larvae host on plants in the pea family (Fabaceae) including Clover ( Trifolium ) and Astralagus . Adults take nectar from flowers.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Colias meadii. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Lepidoptera includes approximately 180,000 described species of butterflies and moths. Moths outnumber butterflies roughly 10:1. The monarch butterfly's eastern population has declined by more than 80% since the mid-1990s, and the western population by over 95% since the 1980s. The IUCN lists the migratory monarch as Vulnerable.
Ecological role of the group
Butterflies and moths are essential indicators of ecosystem health. As caterpillars, they are a primary food source for birds - a single nest of blue tit chicks requires ~10,000 caterpillars. Adult moths pollinate many night-blooming plants.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Lepidoptera are critical pollinators. In Europe, grassland butterfly species have declined by almost 50% since the early 1990s. In the UK, three-quarters of butterflies are in decline. In the U.S., five butterfly species have gone extinct since 1950, with 29 listed as endangered.
Recorded sources for this group: IUCN Red List, Xerces Society, USFWS, PNAS, WWF. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Mead's Sulphur - Hodges#4213 (5)
Photo credits: Contributed by Hannah Nendick-Mason; Additional contributions by Steve Nanz
Frequently Asked Questions About Mead's Sulphur - Hodges#4213
What is Mead's Sulphur - Hodges#4213?
Mead's Sulphur - Hodges#4213 (Colias meadii) is a species in the family Pieridae, within the order Lepidoptera.
How do you identify Mead's Sulphur - Hodges#4213?
Underside greenish-yellow, white spot on hindwing circled in red.
Where is Mead's Sulphur - Hodges#4213 found?
Range: Rocky Mountains, Alberta south to Colorado.
What does Mead's Sulphur - Hodges#4213 eat?
The diet of the Mead's Sulphur - Hodges#4213 includes Larvae host on plants in the pea family (Fabaceae) including Clover ( Trifolium ) and Astralagus . Adults take nectar from flowers..