Colias christina — Details

Christina's Sulphur learn more about names for this taxon

Overview

Brief Summary

North American Ecology (US and Canada)

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Resident in North America (Scott 1986). Habitats are CONIFEROUS FORESTS, SAGEBRUSH, GRASSLAND, OPEN OAK WOODLAND IN CA. Host plants are usually herbaceous including many species, mostly in one family, Leguminosae. Eggs are laid on the host plant singly. One or two flights based on latitude with the approximate flight time JUN30-AUG1 depending on latitude (Scott 1986). Sometimes listed as a subspecies of Colias alexandra.
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Comprehensive Description

General Description

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Males of the Christina Sulphur can be recognized by the following characteristics: at least some bright orange on the upperside, but not extending all the way to the base of the forewing (as in C. meadii and C. canadensis), row of underside submarginal spots absent (usually) or weakly developed (rarely). Females are more difficult to identify with certainty because of the huge amount of variation they exhibit, both in ground colour (Orange, yellow, cream or white) and the extent of the dark border (nearly absent to well-developed). However, like the males, the underside spots are usually absent, and orange forms have a yellow forewing base. Our northern boreal populations are subspecies christina (Christina was described from northeastern Alberta), but designation of a subspecies to non-boreal populations remains uncertain (Bird et al. 1995).
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Distribution

Distribution

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Alaska to Manitoba, south to Wyoming and South Dakota (Opler 1999).
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occurs (regularly, as a native taxon) in multiple nations

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National Distribution

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Canada

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

United States

Origin: Native

Regularity: Regularly occurring

Currently: Present

Confidence: Confident

Type of Residency: Year-round

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Ecology

Habitat

Habitat

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Most common in mountain meadows, also boreal pine woodlands and fescue grasslands.
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Comments: Wooded country along roads, powerlines and in openings.

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Migration

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Non-Migrant: No. All populations of this species make significant seasonal migrations.

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make local extended movements (generally less than 200 km) at particular times of the year (e.g., to breeding or wintering grounds, to hibernation sites).

Locally Migrant: No. No populations of this species make annual migrations of over 200 km.

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Trophic Strategy

Trophic Strategy

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The larval foodplants are presumed to include Buffalo Bean (Thermopsis rhombifolia) and Hedysarum sulphurescens in Alberta, since females lay eggs on these species (Bird et al. 1995). Other legume species are also likely hosts.
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Life History and Behavior

Behavior

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Adults feed mainly from nectar and mud. Males patrol for females (Scott, 1986).
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Cyclicity

Cyclicity

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One yearly flight, peaking from late June to mid August depending on habitat.
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Life Cycle

Life Cycle

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The mature larva is dark green with a white basal stripe, dashed with red behind each spiracle. Pupae are yellow-green with broad yellow stripe (Guppy & Shepard 2001).
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Molecular Biology and Genetics

Molecular Biology

Barcode data: Colias christina

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The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species. 

 
There is 1 barcode sequence available from BOLD and GenBank.   Below is the sequence of the barcode region Cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 (COI or COX1) from a member of the species.  See the BOLD taxonomy browser for more complete information about this specimen.  Other sequences that do not yet meet barcode criteria may also be available.
 
GBGL6623-09|EU583871|Colias christina| ------------------------------GATATTGGAACTTTATATTTTATTTTTGGTGTGTGAGCAGGAATAATTGGAACTTCTTTA---AGTTTATTAATTCGTACAGAATTAGGTAATCCTGGATCACTAATTGGAGAT---GATCAAATTTATAATACTATTGTTACAGCTCATGCCTTTATTATAATTTTTTTTATAGTTATGCCAATTATAATTGGAGGATTTGGTAATTGATTAATTCCTTTGATA---TTAGGAGCCCCTGATATAGCTTTCCCACGTATAAATAATATAAGATTTTGATTACTACCCCCATCATTAACTTTATTAATTTCTAGAAGTATTGTTGAAAACGGAGCAGGAACAGGATGAACAGTTTACCCCCCTCTTTCCTCTAATATTGCCCATAGAGGATCTTCTGTTGATTTA---GCTATTTTTTCTCTTCATCTTGCAGGAATTTCCTCTATCCTAGGAGCAATTAATTTTATTACAACAATTATTAATATACGAATTAATAATATATCATTTGATCAAATACCTTTGTTTGTGTGAGCAGTAGGAATTACTGCTTTATTATTATTATTATCATTGCCAGTTTTAGCTGGT---GCAATTACTATATTATTAACTGATCGAAATTTAAATACCTCTTTTTTTGACCCTGCTGGGGGAGGAGACCCAATTCTTTATCAACATTTATTTTGATTTTTTGGACATCCCGAAGTATATATTCTAATTTTACCAGGATTTGGTATAATTTCACATATAATTTCTCAAGAAAGAGGGAAAAAA---GAAACTTTTGGATCTTTAGGAATAATTTATGCTATAATAGCAATTGGTTTATTAGGATTTATTGTATGAGCTCATCATATATTTACAGTTGGAATAG  
-- end --

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Statistics of barcoding coverage: Colias christina

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Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 1
Species: 50
Species With Barcodes: 1

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Conservation

Conservation Status

Conservation Status

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Not of concern.
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NatureServe Conservation Status

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Rounded Global Status Rank: G5 - Secure

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National NatureServe Conservation Status

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Canada

Rounded National Status Rank: N5 - Secure

United States

Rounded National Status Rank: NU - Unrankable

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Wikipedia

Colias christina

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The Christina Sulphur (Colias christina) is a butterfly in the family Pieridae found in North America. Its range includes the Yukon and Northwest Territories south through British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan to Wyoming, Montana, and Utah.[1][2]

Flight period is from May until September.[1]

Wingspan is from 35 to 52 mm.[1]

Larvae feed on Trifolium and Hedysarum spp.[1][2]

Subspecies

Listed alphabetically.[2]

  • C. c. astraea Edwards, 1872 (Montana, Wyoming, Utah)
  • C. c. christina (Montana, Washington, British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, Northwest Territories)

References

  1. ^ a b c d Christina Sulphur, Butterflies of Canada
  2. ^ a b c Colias, funet.fi
Stub iconThis Pieridae-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.
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