Colias erate – Andrew Neild
Introduction
The genus Colias, commonly known as Clouded Yellows, comprises of 83 known species, and has representatives in temperate and sub-arctic habitats across the world. The genus is centred on the Holarctic region ( Europe, temperate Asia and North America ) but there also several species in the Andes and 2 in sub-Saharan Africa.
Most Colias species are migratory in behaviour – crocea for example migrates each summer from north Africa to England. Many of the Neotropical and Asian Colias species migrate seasonally across the mountain ranges where they breed.
Colias erate is one of several Clouded Yellow species which breed at high altitudes in the mountain ranges of temperate Asia.
The butterfly is distributed from eastern Europe to Siberia, Korea and China.
Habitats
This species breeds on grasslands and in fields and pastures at elevations up to about 2500m.
Lifecycle
The larval foodplants include Trifolium, Medicago, Onobrychis, Melilotus, Lotus, Astragalus, Glycine, Vicia, Parochetus and Lucerne.
Adult behaviour
In common with other Colias species, erate spends long periods at rest, basking laterally on rocks and bare ground in sheltered pockets. Both sexes nectar at a wide range of flowers among which are Scabiosa, Carduus, Cirsium and numerous species of herbaceous Fabaceae.