Subject: Colias spp. (Clouded Yellows) in NW Europe

From: Patrick Roper <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 27 Jul 1995 21:33:14 +0100

This year, despite some very warm summer weather, we have in Britain had
very few reports of Colias croceus, the Clouded Yellow, or its rarer
congeners C. hyale and C. alfacariensis.  Normally they migrate into
southern England in varying numbers and then move northwards, occasionally
getting as far as the northern Scottish islands.  While here they often
breed, but are not able to survive the winter.

It would be interesting to know, via the Internet, of any reports of the
three Clouded Yellows north of their normal winter-hardy range.  In Britain
there were (doubtful) reports of C. croceus from Devon and Cheshire in late
May early June, and two were seen in South Devon on 15 July and 1 in
Hampshire on 17 July.

Any further reports?  Especially from Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and
Scandinavia?

Patrick Roper
Butterfly Conservation (UK)
============================================================
South View, Sedlescombe, Battle, East Sussex TN33 0PE, UK
Telephone:  (01424) 870208; Fax: (01424) 870208
Email: [email-masked]
============================================================

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From: Patrick Roper <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 12 Aug 1995 09:56:14 +0100

>Colias croce*us*? All my books have C. croce*a*. Has it changed?

Colin,

The most up to date and authoritative British books all give *croceus*,
which was the original scientific name given to the butterfly by Geoffroy in
1785.  It was called *croceus* by Petiver in 1703, but Ray, in 1710, changed
the gender and called it *crocea*.

However, in some of the mainland European literature it is called *crocea*,
e.g. the Dutch *Dagvlinders van de Benelux* (1990)

Chris van Swaay was one of the authors so he may have a useful view, as may
others, on the croceus/crocea debate.

Patrick Roper
Butterfly Conservation

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From: [email-masked] ("Colin Cracknell")
Date: Fri, 11 Aug 1995 18:53:45 GMT

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