2020 September 21 morning

 

   Colias Alert!   Mike McGrenere writes:  Barb and I were at McIntyre Reservoir yesterday afternoon when Barb spotted a yellow butterfly in among the many cabbage whites. I was able to get some photos and have attached two.  Although we did not see any orange on the butterfly, it does have the row of dark spots on the wing. We think this is an Orange Sulphur. It was in weedy patch in the NW corner of the reservoir.

 

   Jeremy Tatum writes:  Is this an Orange Sulphur or a Clouded Sulphur?   Opinions (with reasons!) welcome.  Better still, go and have a look.  Last time we had an Orange Sulphur invasion we noticed a few that were paler than most and didn’t seem very orange.  I confidently (?) announced that they were probably female Orange Sulphurs, but ever since then I have had bad twinges of conscience and I have been wondering whether the pale ones were really Clouded Sulphurs.  Now we have another chance to find out.

 

Sulphur Colias sp. (Lep.: Pieridae)  Mike McGrenere

 

Sulphur Colias sp. (Lep.: Pieridae)  Mike McGrenere