Filming VarWild: Colias crocea

The Clouded Yellow (Colias crocea (Geoffroy in Fourcroy, 1785))

The Clouded Yellow belonging to the family Pieridae, is abundant in the Midi and flies in 3 or 4 generations between February and November. This butterfly frequents open environments: dry lawns, meadows, crop edges, olive groves, orchards and gardens. Its flight is often fast, low and direct and always settles with wings closed. Males and females are similar, although the black bands on the forewings and hindwings are punctuated with yellow spots in the female. The female can occur in a form as helice, more frequent in autumn, where the hindwings is creamy white colour, rather than yellow. It is estimated that 5 to 10 percent is present in all populations. From May to August, the caterpillar pupates after about 20 days, depending on weather conditions and preferentially close to or on the host plant. In the Midi, the Clouded Yellow remains active during the winter and on sunny days, when the temperature rises above 16 ° C, we can see this beautiful butterfly of golden colour flying, feeding, mating or laying eggs.