Western sulphur facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Western 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. occidentalis
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| Binomial name | |
| Colias occidentalis Scudder, 1862
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| Synonyms | |
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Eurymus occidentalis Dyar, 1903 |
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The western sulphur (or golden sulphur) is a beautiful butterfly. Its scientific name is Colias occidentalis. This butterfly lives in North America. You can find it in the Pacific Northwest region and in parts of British Columbia, Canada.
Contents
About the Western Sulphur Butterfly
The western sulphur butterfly belongs to a group of butterflies called the Pieridae family. This family includes many yellow and white butterflies.
When Does It Fly?
You can usually see these butterflies flying from late May until early July. This is their main flight period.
How Big Is It?
The western sulphur butterfly is a medium-sized butterfly. Its wingspan, which is the distance from one wingtip to the other, is about 50 millimetres (2.0 in) to 53 millimetres (2.1 in). That's about the length of a small matchbox!
What Do Its Caterpillars Eat?
Like all butterflies, the western sulphur starts its life as a caterpillar. These caterpillars need specific plants to eat. They enjoy munching on plants from the Vicia (like vetch), Lupinus (like lupine), Lathyrus (like sweet pea), and Thermopsis (like golden banner) groups. These plants are very important for the caterpillars to grow big and strong.
Types of Western Sulphur Butterflies
Sometimes, animals of the same species can have slight differences depending on where they live. These different groups are called subspecies. The western sulphur has a few known subspecies.
Western Sulphur Subspecies
Here are the different types of western sulphur butterflies:
- C. o. chrysomelas - You can find this type in California and Oregon.
- C. o. occidentalis - This is the most common type, found in British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon.
- C. o. sullivani - This subspecies lives in Oregon.
