Coliadinae, the sulphurs or yellows, are a subfamily of butterflies with about 300 described species.

There are 36 species in North America, where they range from Mexico to northern Canada. In most species, males are easily distinguished from females. For example, in the genera Colias and Gonepteryx), males exhibit brilliant UV reflections that the females lack.

Systematics

Molecular phylogenetic analyses have found that the Coliadinae consists of two, well-supported and reciprocally monophyletic groups, which have variously been referred to as the Colias-clade and the Eurema-clade or as the tribes Euremini and Coliadini.

The genera are as follows:

Coliadini

• Gandaca Moore, [1906]

• Gonepteryx Leach, [1815] – brimstones

• Dercas Doubleday, [1847] - sulphurs

• Phoebis Hübner, [1819]

• Aphrissa Butler, 1873

• Catopsilia Hübner, [1819] – emigrants

• Anteos Hübner, [1819] – angled-sulphurs

• Zerene Hübner, [1819]

• Colias Fabricius, 1807 – clouded yellows

• Prestonia Schaus, 1920

• Rhabdodryas Godman & Salvin, [1889]

Euremini

• Kricogonia Reakirt, 1863

• Nathalis Boisduval, [1836]

• Pyrisitia Butler, 1870

• Teriocolias Roeber 1909

• Leucidia Doubleday, [1847]

• Eurema Hübner, [1819] – grass yellows

• Abaeis Hübner, [1819]

• Terias Swainson, 1821

Historically, the Coliadinae were arranged in three tribess- Euremini, Goniopterygini, and Coliadini- and a basal lineage, with one genus, Gandaca, of unclear placement.

Footnotes

References

• (2006): Tree of Life Web Project - Coliadinae. Version of November 16, 2006. Retrieved August 7, 2008

• (2005): Extreme ultraviolet sexual dimorphism in jumping spiders (Araneae: Salticidae). Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 89(3): 397–406. (HTML abstract)