Colias chrysotheme
| Lesser Clouded Yellow | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Colias chrysotheme, above male, below female | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Pieridae |
| Genus: | Colias |
| Species: | C. chrysotheme |
| Binomial name | |
| Colias chrysotheme Esper, 1781 | |
The Lesser Clouded Yellow (Colias chrysotheme) is a small butterfly belonging to the Pieridae family. It favors flowered meadows, sparse forests and plains, at altitudes below 2,000 m. The female is white in hue, with a tinge of yellow-green. The male is pale yellow on the upper wing, and the edges are black or dark gray with a reddish fringe.
Subspecies
The following subspecies are recognised:
- Colias chrysotheme chrysotheme (Esper, 1781)
- Colias chrysotheme audre (Hemming, 1833)
- Colias chrysotheme elena (Gorbunov, 1995)