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Colias palaeno

Moorland Clouded Yellow

Field Notes

Valais, Switzerland, July 2006 (m)

Valais, Switzerland, July 2006 (f)

Jura, France, July 2006

Female laying

Valais, Switzerland, July 2006

Courtship, male on the left.

Valais, Switzerland, July 2006

Valais, Switzerland, July 2006

Isère, France, July 2006

Valais, Switzerland, July 2004 (m)

Valais, Switzerland, July 2004 (m)

Same butterfly flashing a little of the upperside.

Male, E Switzerland, July 2003 (m)

Female, E Switzerland, July 2003 (f)

Male, E Switzerland, July 2003 (m)

Male, E Switzerland, July 2003 (m)

A lovely species of bright lemon yellow and strongly contrasting black borders. It is actually quite distinctive in flight, the fully black borders and overall coloration differentiating it from the other Clouded Yellow with which it can fly. It also flies relatively high (where I've found it in the western Alps at the SW corner of its range) and usually in open areas perhaps with some scrub nearby. Further east and north I believe it becomes more a species of the hills rather than mountains and it can be found at lower altitudes.

It also flies rather rapidly, often impossible to get close to unless you find them feeding or are lucky enough to spot one on a cool cloudy day. I remember catching my very first one after an outrageous long chase at high altitude on a roasting hot day on a very steep grassy slope - I was exhausted but ecstatic!

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