Butterflies of
temperate Asia
Marco Polo's Clouded
Yellow
Colias marcopolo
GRUM-GRSHIMAILO, 1888
Family - PIERIDAE
subfamily -
COLIADINAE
Tribe -
Colias marcopolo, female, 4400m,
Jawshangoz, Pamir mountains, Tajikistan
© F. Michel
Introduction
The genus Colias, commonly known as Clouded
Yellows, comprises of 83 known species, and has representatives in temperate and
sub-arctic habitats across the world.
The majority are found in the Holarctic region ( Eurasia and North America ) but
there also several species in the Andes, and 2 in sub-Saharan Africa.
The
majority of Colias species are migratory in behaviour -
crocea for
example migrates each summer from north Africa to England. Many of the
Neotropical and Asian
Colias species
migrate seasonally across the mountain ranges where they breed.
Colias
marcopolo is one of
several Clouded Yellow species which breed at high altitudes in the mountain
ranges of temperate Asia.
The butterfly is endemic to Afghanistan and the Pamir
mountains of Tajikistan.
Habitats
This species breeds on arid rock-strewn grasslands at elevations
between about 3000-4400 metres. It challenges the
Satyrine Paralasa
nepalica ( which has been recorded at an altitude of
4500m in Nepal ), for the title of highest flying species on Earth.
Lifecycle
The larval foodplant is Astragalus.
Adult behaviour
In common with other high altitude Colias
species, marcopolo spends long
periods at rest, basking laterally on rocks and bare ground in
sheltered pockets. Unlike most other Colias
species however it will sometimes bask with wings fully outspread
to gain maximum advantage from the warmth of the sunlight.
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