Pelidne sulphur (Colias pelidne Boisduval & LeConte)
Wing span: 1 1/4 - 1 3/4 inches (3.2 - 4.4 cm).
Identification: Upperside of male pale yellow with wide black border and small black cell spot. Female white (most common) or yellow; dark border may be incomplete. Underside of hindwing of both sexes with dense black scales.
Life history: Males patrol near blueberry and willows for females.
Flight: One flight from late June-July.
Caterpillar hosts: Blueberry (Vaccinium species) and wintergreen (Gaultheria humifusa) in the heath family (Ericaceae).
Adult food: Flower nectar.
Habitat: Arctic tundra, subarctic forest openings and meadows.
Range: Northern Rocky Mountains from Alberta south to Wyoming.
Conservation: Not usually required.
Management needs: Not reported.
The Nature Conservancy Global Rank: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
References:
Opler, P. A. and V. Malikul. 1992. A field guide to eastern butterflies. Peterson field guide #4. Houghton-Mifflin Co., Boston. 396 pages, 48 color plates. Scott, J. A. 1986. The butterflies of North America. Stanford University Press, Stanford, Calif. 583 pages, 64 color plates. Tilden, J. W. 1986. A field guide to western butterflies. Houghton-Mifflin Co., Boston, Mass. 370 pages, 23 color plates.
Author: Jane M. Struttmann
State and Regional References:
Elrod, M.J. 1906. The Butterflies of Montana. Bulletin of the University of Montana 30: 1-174. Ferris, C.D. and F.M. Brown. 1980. Butterflies of the Rocky Mountain States. University of Oklahoma Press. Norman. Layberry, R.A., Hall, P.W. & Lafontaine, D.J., 1998. The Butterflies of Canada. University of Toronto Press, Toronto, ON. 280 pp. Opler, Paul A. 1999. Peterson Field Guide to Western Butterflies, revised edition. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Mass. Stanford, R.E. and P.A. Opler. 1993. Atlas of Western USA Butterflies. Privately published, Denver, Colo. Tilden, J.W. and A.C. Smith. 1986. A Field Guide to Western Butterflies. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, Mass.