Colias alexandra
Encyclopedia
The Queen Alexandra's Sulphur, Alexandra Sulphur, or Ultraviolet Sulfur (Colias alexandra) is a butterfly
in the family Pieridae
found in North America. Its range includes Alaska
to the Northwest Territories
and south to Arizona
and New Mexico
.
Flight period is from mid May until August.
Wingspan is from 38 to 57 mm.
Larvae feed on Thermopsis
, Astragalus
, Lathyrus
, Oxytropis
, and Lupinus spp.
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
in the family Pieridae
Pieridae
The Pieridae are a large family of butterflies with about 76 genera containing approximately 1,100 species, mostly from tropical Africa and Asia. Most pierid butterflies are white, yellow or orange in coloration, often with black spots...
found in North America. Its range includes Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
to the Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
and south to Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
and New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
.
Flight period is from mid May until August.
Wingspan is from 38 to 57 mm.
Larvae feed on Thermopsis
Thermopsis
Thermopsis is a genus of 8 to 23 species of legumes, native to temperate North America and east Asia. They are herbaceous perennials and are known as goldenbanners.-Species:* Thermopsis alpina...
, Astragalus
Astragalus
Astragalus is a large genus of about 3,000 species of herbs and small shrubs, belonging to the legume family Fabaceae, subfamily Faboideae. The genus is native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere...
, Lathyrus
Lathyrus
Lathyrus is a genus of flowering plant species known as sweet peas and vetchlings. Lathyrus is in the legume family Fabaceae and contains approximately 160 species. They are native to temperate areas, with a breakdown of 52 species in Europe, 30 species in North America, 78 in Asia, 24 in...
, Oxytropis
Oxytropis
Oxytropis is a genus of plants in the legume family. It is one of two genera of plants known as locoweeds, and are notorious for being toxic to grazing animals. The other locoweed genus is the closely related Astragalus. There are about 300 species native to Eurasia and North America. Several...
, and Lupinus spp.
Subspecies
Listed alphabetically.- C. a. alexandra (Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Montana, South Dakota, Nebraska, Alberta, Saskatchewan)
- C. a. apache Ferris, 1988 (Arizona, New Mexico)
- C. a. columbiensis Ferris, 1973 (British Columbia, Alberta, Washington, Idaho, Montana)
- C. a. edwardsii Edwards, 1870 (Nevada, California, Oregon, Idaho, Washington)