Colias electo

Colias electo
♂ upper and underside
♀ upper and underside
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Pieridae
Genus: Colias
Species: C. electo
Binomial name
Colias electo
(Linnaeus, 1763) [1]
Synonyms
  • Papilio electo Linnaeus, 1763
  • Papilio electra Linnaeus, 1767
  • Papilio palaeno Stoll, 1781
  • Colias aurivillius Keferstein, 1883
  • Colias electo electo f. overlaeti Berger, 1940
  • Colias electo f. millari Stoneham, 1957
  • Colias electo ab. eremna Vári, 1976
  • Colias electo electo f. elysium Kroon, 1985
  • Colias electo electo ab. capensis McLeod and McLeod, 2002
  • Colias electo electo ab. inconstantis McLeod, 2004
  • Colias electo electo ab. memorabilis McLeod, 2004
  • Colias electo electo ab. pallidula McLeod, 2004
  • Colias hecate Strecker, 1900
  • Colias electo hecate f. katangae Berger, 1940
  • Colias electo hecate f. bunda Berger, 1940
  • Colias electo hecate f. elisabethae Berger, 1940
  • Colias electo meneliki f. bafanae Berger, 1940
  • Colias electo philbyi f. bafanae Berger, 1953
  • Colias electo philbyi f. pauper Berger, 1953
  • Colias electo philbyi Berger, 1953
  • Colias electo pseudohecate f. licina Berger, 1940
  • Colias electo pseudohecate f. lecerfi Berger, 1940
  • Colias electo pseudohecate f. splendens Berger, 1940
  • Colias electo pseudohectae ab. dormonti Dufrane, 1947
  • Colias electo f. affricana Stoneham, 1957
  • Colias electo f. ambreana Stoneham, 1957

Colias electo, the African Clouded Yellow or Lucerne Butterfly, is a butterfly of the Pieridae family. It is found in eastern and southern Africa, as well as Arabia. The habitat consists of temperate and montane grasslands.[2]

The wingspan is 35–40 millimetres (1.4–1.6 in) for males and 32–40 mm (1.3–1.6 in) for females. Adults are on the wing throughout the year, with a peak from April to August.[3]

The larvae feed on Medicago sativa, Trifolium, Vicia and Robinia pseudoacacia.

Subspecies

References

  1. Colias, Site of Markku Savela
  2. Afrotropical Butterflies: File D – Pierini - Subfamily Coliadinae
  3. Woodhall, S. Field Guide to Butterflies of South Africa, Cape Town: Struik Publishers, 2005.