Butterfly ID
Get the free app
Field guide · Norway
Whites and yellows · Norway

Pale Arctic clouded yellow

Colias tyche

Pale Arctic clouded yellow is a pale yellowish-green butterfly with two darker bands along the edge of its forewing. It is local and fairly rare in the interior regions of Nordland and Troms, and it flies from mid-June to July.

Status in this countryRare in NorwayLC (Least concern)
Pale Arctic clouded yellow
Photo: (c) Oleg Kosterin, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY 4.0

Flight period

Mid-June to July.

Habitat

Flower-rich uplands and slopes from the birch belt to some distance above the tree line, as well as slightly damp tussocky areas within and below the birch belt.

Identifying features

Wingspan 34–46 mm. The male is pale yellowish-green; along the outer edge of the forewing, there are two darker bands, with the inner one particularly dissolved into spots. The female has a paler base colour and stronger darker bands than the male. Both sexes have a dark spot in the middle of the forewing and red/yellow wing veins.

Similar species

Yellow colour variations of Hecla Sulphur have been reported incorrectly as Pale Arctic clouded yellow in Finnmark; in practice, their distribution and habitat differentiate them. The male can also resemble citron butterfly males.

Distribution

Local and fairly rare in the interior of Nordland and Troms.

Biology

The larva feeds on Astragalus alpinus and Astragalus frigidus. It is green with two yellow dorsal lines and red lateral lines. The species overwinters as a pupa, less often as a larva.