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colias croceus


colias croceus
Photo Information
Copyright: Roberto Innocenzi (cobra112) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 584 W: 9 N: 1180] (6530)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2009-08-07
Categories: Insects
Camera: Nikon D40X
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2009-08-29 5:14
Viewed: 311
Points: 38
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Kingdom:Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Subphylum: Hexapoda

Class: Insecta

Subclass:Pterygota

Infraclass: Neoptera

Superorder:Endopterygota

Order: Lepidoptera

(unranked):Rhopalocera

Superfamily:Papilionoidea

Family: Pieridae

Subfamily:Coliadinae

Tribe: Coliadini

Genus: Colias

Species:C. croceus


Colias croceus is a small butterfly of the Pieridae family, that is, the Yellows and Whites. In India and nearby regions it is known as the Dark Clouded Yellow or Common Clouded Yellow to distinguish it from the other species of clouded yellows occurring there; elsewhere it is often simply known as "the clouded yellow". The upperside is golden to orange yellow with a broad black margin on all four wings and a black spot near the center forewing. The underside lacks the black borders and is lighter, with a more greenish tint, particularly on the forewings. In the forewing underside is the same dark spot as on the upperside, but often with a light center; the hindwing underside has a white center spot, often with a smaller white or dark dot immediately above it. Sometimes, a row of black dots occurs on the underwings' outer margins, corresponding to where the black border ends on the upperside. Females differ from the males in having yellow spots along the black borders on the upperside. In a small proportion of females the golden upperside colouration is replaced by a pale cream colour. These have been distinguished as form helice, but do not seem to be that distinct as intermediates exist and the variation is to some extent related to humidity during development, with dryer conditions producing paler coloration. In flight, it is easily identifiable by the intense yellow colouring, much brighter than that of the lemon-yellow male Common Brimstone which also lacks black color. Like all Colias species they never open their wings at rest. Pale females can be confused with the rarer Pale Clouded Yellow (C. hyale) and Berger's Clouded Yellow (C. sareptensis). Even the palest C. croceus tends to have more black on the upperside however, in particular on the hindwings. The upperside is golden to orange yellow with a broad black margin on all four wings and a black spot near the center forewing. The underside lacks the black borders and is lighter, with a more greenish tint, particularly on the forewings. In the forewing underside is the same dark spot as on the upperside, but often with a light center; the hindwing underside has a white center spot, often with a smaller white or dark dot immediately above it. Sometimes, a row of black dots occurs on the underwings' outer margins, corresponding to where the black border ends on the upperside,Females differ from the males in having yellow spots along the black borders on the upperside. In a small proportion of females the golden upperside colouration is replaced by a pale cream colour. These have been distinguished as form helice, but do not seem to be that distinct as intermediates exist and the variation is to some extent related to humidity during development, with dryer conditions producing paler coloration. In flight, it is easily identifiable by the intense yellow colouring, much brighter than that of the lemon-yellow male Common Brimstone which also lacks black color. Like all Colias species they never open their wings at rest. Pale females can be confused with the rarer Pale Clouded Yellow (C. hyale) and Berger's Clouded Yellow (C. sareptensis). Even the palest C. croceus tends to have more black on the upperside however, in particular on the hindwings. The Common Clouded Yellow's breeding range is North Africa and southern Europe and eastwards through Turkey into the Middle East but it occurs throughout much of Europe as a summer migrant, in good years individuals reaching Scandinavia. In Asia, its range extends into central Siberia in the north and barely into India in the south; it is not found in Central Asia. In the UK they can be seen on the south coast almost every year in varying numbers, and regularly breed there. Occurrence in the rest of the UK varies considerably from year to year, but they are increasingly observed as far north as Dumfries and Galloway.A truly migratory European butterfly, this species is famous for occasional mass migrations and subsequent breeding, which are often referred to in the United Kingdom as "clouded yellow years". Notable clouded yellow years include 1877, 1947, 1983, 1992, 1994, 1996 and 2000. In southern Europe and North Africa they breed continuously throughout the year. Eggs are laid singly on foodplant leaves. The caterpillars grow fast in warm weather, sometimes pupating within a month. Pupation lasts for two or three weeks and in good years there can be as many as three generations per year, with adults still on the wing at the beginning of November. Common Clouded Yellows feed on a variety of leguminous plants, namely Faboideae. In the UK wild and cultivated clovers (Trifolium) and Alfalfa (Medicago sativa) are favourites; less frequently, Common Bird's-foot Trefoil Lotus corniculatus is eaten.
goatman04, Silvio2006, horias, siggi, boreocypriensis, nglen, marianas, Marx44, cloud, flashpoint has marked this note useful
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Discussions
ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To maurydv: colias....cobra112 1 08-29 15:56
To lousat: parallelacobra112 1 08-29 11:11
To Silvio2006: Castellucciocobra112 2 08-29 09:33
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Critiques [Translate]

Hello Roberto,

An excellent capture with beautiful colors, sharpness, and nice details. Very well done MF & TFS.

Have a great weekend!

Umar

Ciao Roiberto, questa almeno la conosco anch'io, sempre bella la Colias, macro di alto livello, ottimi dettagli e bei colori, bravissimo, ciao Silvio
PS stamattina son ristato a Castelluccio e ho trovato altre novità:)

Ciao Roberto,
bellissima immagine di Colias, penso anch'io che sia una femmina di croceus, ma sinceramente questo genere di farfalle mi è abbastanza ostico da riconoscere, per cui penso sempre di fotografare croceus, che la più diffusa anche se ho forti dubbi di non avere incontrato altre specie, ottima definizione, colori molto belli e naturali, la composizione ad ali chiuse è naturalmente un classico, ma mi piace la posa sulla foglia.
Grazie e complimenti
Buona serata e buona domenica
Ciao Maurizio

Roberto,
Lovely colored Colias croceus!!!
Crystal clear details, beautiful colred, great job, amico mio!
Horia

  • Great 
  • siggi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1378 W: 56 N: 4747] (16330)
  • [2009-08-29 5:49]

Hello Roberto
Beautiful capture and very nice butterfly. Excellent sharpness, composition and exposure.
Best regards Siggi

Hi MF Roberto,
A fine macro of a colias with excellent neat details and fine composition.
TFS and have a nice WE!
Cheers,

bayram

Hi Roberto
Very nice sharp iamge of Colias. Nice POV, good exposure and good, not disturbingbackground
Best wishes
Krzysztof

  • Great 
  • PeterZ Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2395 W: 94 N: 5542] (17634)
  • [2009-08-29 7:12]

Hello Roberto,
Very fine photo in excellent sharpness and details. Very good POV and composition. Light and colours are beautiful.
Regards,
Peter

Hi Roberto,

Beautiful macro shot of the Common Cloded Yellow butterfly!
The sharpness and POV are great along with nice use of shallow DOF. The colors are natural. The textures on teh body of the butterfly are wonderfully shown. Very well done!

Have a nice weekend.

kind regards,
Paras Bhalla

Quando la prendi cosi' parallela all'obiettivo il risultato e' straordinario.Grandissima definizione lungo tutta la farfalla,non c'e' un millimetro fuori fuoco,stupenda anche la luce leggeremente trasversale.Buona serata! Luciano

  • Great 
  • nglen Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2912 W: 34 N: 8640] (32202)
  • [2009-08-29 8:39]

Hi Roberto. Once again you bring us this fine close up of a well focused Butterfly. Which you have taken with fine detail and natural looking colours. From you side view we can see all of the wing markings. Your use of the light has given natural colours. well done TFs.
Nick..

Roberto,
A fine macro ,excellent neat details and fine composition.
Very well done!
Mariana

Ciao Roberto...

Senza parole, è come guardare la farfalla, faccia a faccia! ... bella luce e dettagli fedele e pieno di colori armoniosi della natura!
Grazie per la condivisione, è una buona Domenica.

Jesús

  • Great 
  • cirano Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 656 W: 0 N: 228] (4950)
  • [2009-08-29 10:01]

Slav Roberto,
This is a first class capture with great sharpness,details and splendid colors.TFS.
Regards,
Dûrzan

Ciao Roberto,
Excellent composition with this beautiful colias. Details are really amazing. Nice blurred background. Cheers,
Catherine

  • Great 
  • livius Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 179 W: 0 N: 300] (1169)
  • [2009-08-29 11:21]

Ciao Roberto
incredibile ritratto di questa Colias croceus perfettamente a fuoco su tutto i corpo evidenziando tutta la bellezza dei suoi particolari soprattutto il risalto di quelle bellissime venature delle ali che con una bellissima e ben gestita luce trasversale acuistano molta profondità. Davvero un ottimo lavoro.
Livio

  • Great 
  • Marx44 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 174 W: 95 N: 602] (2134)
  • [2009-08-29 12:28]

Hello Roberto
Great capture.
Good POV. The light was just right.
Sharpness and detail spot on.
Nice work.
Thanks.
Marx

  • Great 
  • cloud Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 297 W: 71 N: 758] (4689)
  • [2009-08-29 13:41]

Hello Roberto,
Very good light, exact sharpness of the butterfly, beautiful green eye. Nice BG. I like such compostion.
Regards, Pawel

I became a fan of color and beauty.
Clarity is great.
Congratulations.
Sincerely ...

Hello Roberto
superb shot of this Colias Croceus with amazing details, beautiful lighting and colors
and great composition, pose and POV are nice too
Have a good night
Jacqueline

bella e con ottima definizione anche questa
Colias croceus ..mi piace molto anche lo sfondo con i colori pastello...

ciao sERGIO

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