| Coliadinae | |
|---|---|
| Mating Dainty Sulfurs (Nathalis iole) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Pieridae |
| Subfamily: | Coliadinae Swainson, 1827 |
| Tribes | |
|
Coliadini |
|
Coliadinae, the sulfurs, sulphurs, or yellows, are a subfamily of butterflies with about 300 described species.
There are 36 species in North America, where they range from Mexico to northern Canada. Males of most species are different from females, including, (for example, in the genera Colias and Gonepteryx) brilliant UV reflections which the females lack.[1]
The Coliadinae can be arranged in the 3 traditional tribes and a basal lineage, with one genus of unclear placement. The taxa—including some selected species—are arranged here in the presumed phylogenetic sequence, from the most ancient lineages to the most modern ones:[2]
Basal lineage