Colias erate
Colias erate
Colias erate is a butterfly ( butterfly ) of the family of White (Pieridae ).
Features
The male moths reach a wingspan of 36-40 mm and females 38 - 50 mm, with the Central Asian butterflies generall greater than are European. They have slightly pointed wingtips, as related species. Like most Colias species has also Colias erate a yellow wing ground color. Females with whitish colored wings occur in Europe and sometimes predominate in Central Asia. The moths are highly variable in their coloration and therefore very difficult to distinguish from similar species of the same genus. The wing tops are colored lemon yellow and have a wide black-colored outer edge. To the wing tip, the black also extends towards the front edge. In the males, the black is strong and interspersed only with no or few yellow Submarginalflecken, in females it is pale and also excludes several such spots one. , Placing it approximately in the middle of the forewing slightly to the front edge there is a small black spot. The tops of the hind wings are also lemon yellow colored, but lightly dusted dark. A large part of the outer rim is also, but not as wide dark margins. In females, the black is again significantly paler and sometimes interrupted by yellow. In the middle of the wing there is an orange spot. The bottom of both pairs of wings is stronger yellow in color and slightly dusted dark - olivgrünlich. The entire border is edged with fine reddish. The black spot of the forewing is found next to some other Submarginalflecken along the outer edge on the bottom. On the hind wings is orange instead of a bright, reddish margined spot which borders another very small spot. The dark Submarginalfleckreihe the front wing continues on the outer edge of the hind wings, but is only faintly discernible.
Similar Species
- Hufeisenklee Yellow Ling ( Colias alfacariensis )
- Postilion ( Colias croceus )
- Golden Eight ( Colias hyale )
- Moorland clouded yellow Ling ( Colias palaeno )
Occurrence
The animals are migrant butterflies and come in Southeastern Europe, northwestern Turkey, Central Asia east to Japan before. They also live in Somalia and Ethiopia. In Central Europe, they have spread to the Alpine foothills of Lower Austria and found even in Upper Austria a few times. Similarly, there is evidence of the first kind in Bavaria, about Vilshofen near Passau. First Evidence from Austria are from 1990. They are found wherever their caterpillar food plants grow well at high altitudes. In Asia, they rise up to the vegetation line approximately 4,500 meters.
Way of life
From the north-eastern Greece is documented that the nature intersects with the postilion. These specimens have features of both types. Overwintering takes place in the caterpillar stage.
The oligophagen caterpillars feed ( Medicago sativa ) of alfalfa and of several other leguminous plants such as from alfalfa (Medicago ), clover ( Trifolium ), birdsfoot trefoil ( Lotus ), sainfoin ( Onobrychis ) and sweet clover ( Melilotus ).
The moths fly in two to five generations from mid-March to October.