Mead's sulphur facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mead's sulphur |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Pieridae |
| Genus: | Colias |
| Species: |
C. meadii
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| Binomial name | |
| Colias meadii W.H. Edwards, 1871
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The Mead's sulphur (scientific name: Colias meadii) is a beautiful butterfly found in North America. It belongs to the Pieridae family, which includes many yellow and white butterflies. You can spot this butterfly flying high in the Rocky Mountains of Canada and the United States.
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Meet the Mead's Sulphur Butterfly
The Mead's sulphur butterfly is known for its bright colors. It's a medium-sized butterfly, usually with yellow or orange wings.
What Does It Look Like?
This butterfly has a wingspan of about 35 to 44 millimeters. That's roughly the length of two standard paper clips! Its wings are often bright yellow or orange, sometimes with dark markings.
Where Does It Live?
The Mead's sulphur butterfly makes its home in the high-altitude areas of the Rocky Mountains. This includes parts of Canada and the western United States. It loves open, sunny areas like mountain meadows.
When Can You See It?
You can usually see the Mead's sulphur butterfly flying during the summer months. Their main flight period is from July to August. This is when the weather is warm and flowers are blooming in the mountains.
What Do Its Caterpillars Eat?
Like all butterflies, the Mead's sulphur starts its life as a caterpillar. These caterpillars are quite picky eaters! They mostly feed on plants from the pea family. Some of their favorite foods include different types of clover (Trifolium species), Astragalus alpinus, Oxytropis deflexa, and Vicia americana.
Different Types of Mead's Sulphur
Just like people, butterflies can have different groups within their species. These are called subspecies. The Mead's sulphur has a few known subspecies, which are slightly different depending on where they live. For example, one type is found in Alberta and British Columbia, while others live in Idaho, Montana, Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Wyoming.
