Moorland clouded yellow facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Moorland clouded yellow |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | |
| Phylum: | |
| Class: | |
| Order: | |
| Family: | |
| Genus: |
Colias
|
| Species: |
C. palaeno
|
| Binomial name | |
| Colias palaeno (Linnaeus, 1761)
|
|
The Moorland clouded yellow (scientific name: Colias palaeno) is a beautiful butterfly. It is also known as the palaeno sulphur or the pale Arctic clouded yellow. This butterfly belongs to the Pieridae family, which includes many types of white and yellow butterflies.
You can find the Moorland clouded yellow in the northern parts of the world, a region called Holarctic. Like most butterflies in the Colias group, it loves to fly. It is a very active flyer! While this butterfly usually stays in specific places where it can breed, sometimes it flies far away from its normal home.
Contents
What Does It Look Like?
Let's look at the different parts of the Moorland clouded yellow butterfly.
Male Butterfly
The male Moorland clouded yellow has pale yellow upper wings. The edges of its wings, which are called distal margins, are blackish-brown. On its front wings, there is a dark spot in the middle with a lighter center. The hindwings have a light spot in the middle. The fringes, which are the tiny hairs along the wing edges, are red.
If you look at the underside of the male's front wings, they are pale yellow. The outer and top edges are red. There is also a dark spot in the middle with a white center. The hindwings are yellow but have a lot of dark, dusty-looking scales (fuscous). The large spot in the middle of the hindwing looks like mother-of-pearl, which is shiny and iridescent. The fringes on the underside are also red.
Female Butterfly
The female Moorland clouded yellow is different. Her upper wings are white instead of yellow. The underside of her front wings is white near her body and yellow at the tips. Her hindwings are a bit paler than the male's.
Larva (Caterpillar)
The larva, or caterpillar, of this butterfly is sea-green and feels velvety. It has tiny black dots all over its body. Along its side, there is a bright yellow stripe. This stripe has a black edge underneath it. Below this stripe, you can see white spiracles, which are small holes for breathing, also edged in black. The caterpillar's underside and its back legs are dull green. Its front legs are yellowish, and its head is green.
Pupa (Chrysalis)
The pupa, or chrysalis, is the stage where the caterpillar changes into a butterfly. The Moorland clouded yellow's pupa is greenish-yellow. Its back is very rounded and curved.
Images for kids
-
Colias palaeno
-
Colias palaeno poktussani . Male, dorsal side
-
Female, dorsal side
-
Male, ventral side
-
Female, ventral side
