Species Details
Colias nastes
University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum Read more about this collection »
Common NameLabrador Sulphur
SeasonalityOne yearly brood, flying between mid July and late August.
IdentificationThis dark, grey-green sulphur, with the underside discal spot streaked towards the outside, is not likely to be confused with any other sulphurs. Unlike all other sulphurs, male Labradors have the forewing dark border broken with pale blotches, a trait usually found only in female sulphurs. Alberta populations are subspecies streckeri, described from Lake Louise. The common name is rather a poor one, since only a small portion of this species' distribution is within Labrador.
Scientific Name
Colias nastes
Common Name
Labrador Sulphur
Habitat
Gravelly or rocky alpine tundra.
Seasonality
One yearly brood, flying between mid July and late August.
Identification
This dark, grey-green sulphur, with the underside discal spot streaked towards the outside, is not likely to be confused with any other sulphurs. Unlike all other sulphurs, male Labradors have the forewing dark border…
This dark, grey-green sulphur, with the underside discal spot streaked towards the outside, is not likely to be confused with any other sulphurs. Unlike all other sulphurs, male Labradors have the forewing dark border broken with pale blotches, a trait usually found only in female sulphurs. Alberta populations are subspecies streckeri, described from Lake Louise. The common name is rather a poor one, since only a small portion of this species' distribution is within Labrador.
Life History
The immature stages are incompletely known; mature larvae are dark green with a pink-edged lateral stripe (Bird et al. 1995). This species is known for its rapid flight over its rocky and often steep alpine habitat,…
The immature stages are incompletely known; mature larvae are dark green with a pink-edged lateral stripe (Bird et al. 1995). This species is known for its rapid flight over its rocky and often steep alpine habitat, making it difficult to observe and capture.
Conservation
Not of concern.
Diet Info
Larvae feed on Oxytropis splendens on Redcap Mountain near Cadomin (Bird et al. 1995), and likely other alpine legumes. There are no published reports of adult nectar sources.
Range
An Arctic - alpine species, occurring from northern Labrador across the arctic to Alaska and south in the western mountains to extreme northern Washington state and Montana (Layberry et al. 1998, Guppy & Shepard 2001).
Citation
Page Citation for Colias nastes
Page Citation
"Species Details - Colias nastes, University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum." University of Alberta Museums Search Site, https://search.museums.ualberta.ca/g/2-2547. Accessed 21 Nov. 2024.
References
Author
Bird, C. D., G.J. Hilchie, N.G. Kondla, E.M. Pike and F. A. H. Sperling
Title
Alberta Butterflies
Publication Date
1995
Pages
349
Author
Guppy, Crispin S. and Jon H. Shepard
Title
Butterflies of British Columbia.
Publication Date
2001
Pages
414
Author
Layberry, Ross A.; Hall, Peter W. and J. Donald LaFontaine
Title
The Butterflies of Canada
Publication Date
1998
Pages
280
Specimen Information
There are 5 specimens of this Species.
UASM35961 - Colias nastes
University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum
Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Banff National Park, Banff
Date Collected1925-07-21
UASM35962 - Colias nastes
University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum
Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Jasper National Park, Wilcox Pass
Collected ByPike, Edward Marshall
Date Collected1976-08-07
BIRD33442 - Colias nastes
University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum
Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Kananaskis Country, Plateau Mountain
Collected ByBird, C. D.
Date Collected2010-08-18
BIRD33443 - Colias nastes
University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum
Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Kananaskis Country, Plateau Mountain
Collected ByBird, C. D.
Date Collected2010-08-18
BIRD38102 - Colias nastes
University of Alberta E.H. Strickland Entomological Museum
Place CollectedCanada: Alberta, Kananaskis Country, Plateau Mountain
Collected ByBird, C. D.
Date Collected2016-07-24