Species Details

Colias canadensis

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum Read more about this collection »

Common NameCanada Sulphur SeasonalityOne yearly brood peaking from late May to late July, depending on habitat. IdentificationThe only other Alberta Colias with a dorsal orange colour that extends all the way to the forewing base are meadii and eurytheme. The Canada Sulphur, however, has the pink outline of the underside discal spot smeared outwards, and almost always lacks the hindwing underside submarginal dark spots. This species was only recently found to be distinct from C. hecla by Cliff Ferris (1988).

Scientific Name Colias canadensis Common Name Canada Sulphur Habitat Moist, open areas including shrub willow-birch valley bottoms and alpine tundra. Seasonality One yearly brood peaking from late May to late July, depending on habitat. Identification
The only other Alberta Colias with a dorsal orange colour that extends all the way to the forewing base are meadii and eurytheme. The Canada Sulphur, however, has the pink outline of the underside discal spot smeared…
The only other Alberta Colias with a dorsal orange colour that extends all the way to the forewing base are meadii and eurytheme. The Canada Sulphur, however, has the pink outline of the underside discal spot smeared outwards, and almost always lacks the hindwing underside submarginal dark spots. This species was only recently found to be distinct from C. hecla by Cliff Ferris (1988).
Life History
The mature larva overwinters, and is dark green covered with short, fine hairs arising from small black spots (Guppy & Shepard 2001). The dorsal line is dark, and the lateral line is white and pinkish-red (Guppy &…
The mature larva overwinters, and is dark green covered with short, fine hairs arising from small black spots (Guppy & Shepard 2001). The dorsal line is dark, and the lateral line is white and pinkish-red (Guppy & Shepard 2001).
Conservation Not of concern. Diet Info The larval foodplants are unkown, but are likely to be legumes. Females lay eggs on Hedysarum (Fabaceae) in captivity, and larvae can be successfully reared on red clover (Guppy & Shepard 2001). Range Eastern Alaska to northern BC and Alberta (Opler 1999), south in the Alberta foothills to Highwood Pass (Layberry et al. 1998).
Colias canadensis
Colias canadensis
Colias canadensis
Colias canadensis

Citation

Page Citation for Colias canadensis

Page Citation

"Species Details - Colias canadensis, University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum." University of Alberta Museums Search Site, https://search.museums.ualberta.ca/g/2-2521. Accessed 04 Aug. 2025.

References

Specimen Information

There are 19 specimens of this Species.

19 results plotted on map in 5 markers.
Note: Only records with latitude and longitude coordinates are plotted on map.

UASM20541 - Colias canadensis

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Nordegg Collected ByBowman, K. Date Collected1919-06-05

UASM20542 - Colias canadensis

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Nordegg Collected ByBowman, K. Date Collected1928-05-28

UASM20543 - Colias canadensis

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Nordegg Collected ByBowman, K. Date Collected1925-06-01

UASM20544 - Colias canadensis

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Nordegg Collected ByBowman, K. Date Collected1928-05-28

UASM20545 - Colias canadensis

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Nordegg Collected ByBowman, K. Date Collected1936-05-17

UASM20546 - Colias canadensis

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Nordegg Collected ByBowman, K. Date Collected1926-05-28

UASM20547 - Colias canadensis

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Nordegg Collected ByBowman, K. Date Collected1926-05-28

UASM20548 - Colias canadensis

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Nordegg Collected ByBowman, K. Date Collected1928-05-26

UASM20549 - Colias canadensis

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Nordegg Collected ByBowman, K. Date Collected1921-07-21

UASM20550 - Colias canadensis

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Nordegg Collected ByBowman, K. Date Collected1936-06-21

UASM20551 - Colias canadensis

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Nordegg Collected ByBowman, K. Date Collected1925-05-30

UASM20552 - Colias canadensis

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Northwest Territories, Taltheilei Narrows Collected ByBedford, R. H. Date Collected1924-06-29

UASM20553 - Colias canadensis

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Nordegg Collected ByBowman, K. Date Collected1928-05-28

UASM20554 - Colias canadensis

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Nordegg Collected ByBowman, K. Date Collected1919-06-04

UASM7996 - Colias canadensis

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Nordegg Collected ByBowman, K. Date Collected1926-05-28

UASM41791 - Colias canadensis

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Colin-Cornwall Lakes Wildland Park Collected ByMacaulay, D. Date Collected2002-06-12

UASM41204 - Colias canadensis

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Caribou Mountains Wildland Park, Margaret Lake Collected ByPohl, G. R. Date Collected2003-06-15

UASM41205 - Colias canadensis

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Caribou Mountains Wildland Park, Wentzel Lake Collected ByPohl, G. R. Date Collected2003-06-16

UASM41207 - Colias canadensis

University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum

Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Caribou Mountains Wildland Park, Wentzel Lake Collected ByPohl, G. R. Date Collected2003-06-16

Adult Seasonal Distribution