Colias palaeno (Linnaeus, 1761)


Colias palaeno: Male (S-Germany, Leutkirch, 30.06.2019) [N] Colias palaeno: Female (S-Germany, Leutkirch, 30.06.2019) [N] Colias palaeno: Female (S-Germany, Leutkirch, 30.06.2019) [N] Colias palaeno: Male (S-Germany, Kempter Wald, June 2020) Colias palaeno: Male (S-Germany, Kempter Wald, June 2020) Colias palaeno: Male (S-Germany, Kempter Wald, June 2020) Colias palaeno: Male (S-Germany, Kempter Wald, 10. July 2021) [N] Colias palaeno: Male (S-Germany, Kempter Wald, 10. July 2021) [N] Colias palaeno: Male (S-Germany, Kempter Wald, 10. July 2021) [N] Colias palaeno: Male (S-Germany, Kempter Wald, 10. July 2021) [N] Colias palaeno: Male, settled on a young spruce for sleeping (S-Germany, Kempter Wald, 10. June 2020) [N] Colias palaeno: Male, settled on a young spruce for sleeping (S-Germany, Kempter Wald, 10. June 2020) [N] Colias palaeno: Male, settled on a young spruce for sleeping (S-Germany, Kempter Wald, 10. June 2020) [N] Colias palaeno: Male, pale white (N-Sweden, Vitberget, 21.06.2020) [M] Colias palaeno: Male, pale white (N-Sweden, Vitberget, 21.06.2020) [M] Colias palaeno: Male Colias palaeno: Male Colias palaeno: Male [N] Colias palaeno: Female with several Melitaea on Cirsium palustre (S-Germany, Kempter Wald, July 2021) [N] Colias palaeno: Female with several Melitaea on Cirsium palustre (S-Germany, Kempter Wald, July 2021) [N] Colias palaeno: Female on Cirsium palustre (S-Germany, Kempter Wald, July 2021) [N] Colias palaeno: Female [S] Colias palaeno: Female (Isny, late June 2021) [N] Colias palaeno: Female (Isny, late June 2021) [N] Colias palaeno: Oviposition (west Austria, Rätikon, above Lindauer Hütte, 1900m asl, July 2013) [N] Colias palaeno: Oviposition (Isny, late June 2021) [N] Colias palaeno: Oviposition (Isny, late June 2021) [N] Colias palaeno: Oviposition (Isny, late June 2021) [N] Colias palaeno: Ovum [N] Colias palaeno: Egg (Isny, late June 2021) [N] Colias palaeno: Egg (Isny, late June 2021) [N] Colias palaeno: Fresh egg (Isny, late June 2021) [N] Colias palaeno: Relative fresh egg (Kempter Wald, late June 2021) [N] Colias palaeno: Egg, a few days old (Kempter Wald, late June 2021) [N] Colias palaeno: Egg. about a week old (Kempter Wald, late June 2021) Colias palaeno: Egg, about a week old (Isny, late June 2021) Colias palaeno: Egg prior to hatching Colias palaeno: Beginning of hatching 1/19 Colias palaeno: Hatching 2/19 Colias palaeno: Hatching 3/19 Colias palaeno: Hatching 4/19 Colias palaeno: Hatching 5/19 Colias palaeno: Hatching 6/19 Colias palaeno: Hatching 7/19 Colias palaeno: Hatching 8/19 Colias palaeno: Hatching 9/19 Colias palaeno: Hatching 10/19 Colias palaeno: Hatching 11/19 Colias palaeno: Hatching 12/19 Colias palaeno: Hatching 13/19 Colias palaeno: Hatching 14/19 Colias palaeno: Hatching 15/19 Colias palaeno: Hatching 16/19 Colias palaeno: Hatching 17/19 Colias palaeno: Hatching 18/19 Colias palaeno: Hatching 19/19 Colias palaeno: Larva in the first instar (S-Germany, July 2021) Colias palaeno: Larva in the first instar (S-Germany, July 2021) Colias palaeno: Larva in the first instar in typical resting position at the leaf basal part and typical feeding pattern (S-Germany, July 2021) Colias palaeno: Larva in the first instar feeding, silken trace to the resting place visible (S-Germany, July 2021) Colias palaeno: Larva in the first instar in typical resting position at the leaf basal part and typical feeding pattern (S-Germany, July 2021) Colias palaeno: Larva in the first instar feeding, silken trace to the resting place visible (S-Germany, July 2021) Colias palaeno: Larva in the first instar (S-Germany, July 2021) Colias palaeno: Larva in the end of the first instar in typical resting position at the leaf basal part and typical feeding pattern (S-Germany, July 2021) Colias palaeno: Young larva in the first instar with feeding pattern [N] Colias palaeno: Larva in the second instar (S-Germany, July 2021) Colias palaeno: Larva in the second instar (S-Germany, July 2021) Colias palaeno: Larva in the second instar (S-Germany, July 2021) Colias palaeno: Larva in the second instar (S-Germany, July 2021) Colias palaeno: Larva in the second instar (S-Germany, July 2021) Colias palaeno: Larva in the end of the second instar (S-Germany, July 2021) Colias palaeno: Feeding scars of a larva in the second instar (S-Germany, July 2021) Colias palaeno: Young larva in the second instar (west Austria, Silvrettasee, 1900m asl, August 2013) [N] Colias palaeno: Young larva in the second instar [N] Colias palaeno: Young larva in the second instar (west Austria, Silvrettasee, August 2013) Colias palaeno: Larva in the third instar (S-Germany, August 2021) Colias palaeno: Larva in the third instar (S-Germany, August 2021) Colias palaeno: Larva in the third instar (S-Germany, August 2021) Colias palaeno: Larva in the third instar (S-Germany, August 2021) Colias palaeno: Larva in the third instar (S-Germany, August 2021) Colias palaeno: Larva in the third instar (S-Germany, August 2021) Colias palaeno: Larva in the third instar (S-Germany, August 2021) Colias palaeno: Larva in the third instar (S-Germany, August 2021) Colias palaeno: Larva in the third instar with feeding pattern (S-Germany, August 2021) Colias palaeno: Larva in the third instar (S-Germany, August 2021) Colias palaeno: Larva in the third instar (S-Germany, August 2021) Colias palaeno: Larva in the third instar already in hibernation position on the lower side of a leaf on a silken seat pad (S-Germany, 20. August 2021) Colias palaeno: Larva in the third instar in hibernation position (S-Germany, 04. September 2021) Colias palaeno: Larva in the third instar in hibernation position (S-Germany, 26. September 2021) Colias palaeno: Larva in the third instar in hibernation position (S-Germany, 24. October 2021) Colias palaeno: Larva in the third instar in hibernation position (S-Germany, 24. October 2021) Colias palaeno: Larva in the third instar in hibernation position (S-Germany, 24. October 2021) Colias palaeno: Larva in the third instar in hibernation position (S-Germany, 03. November 2021) Colias palaeno: Larva in the third instar in hibernation position (S-Germany, 07. November 2021) Colias palaeno: Larva in the third instar in hibernation position (S-Germany, 30. January 2022) Colias palaeno: Larva in the third instar in hibernation position (S-Germany, 30. January 2022) Colias palaeno: Larva [N] Colias palaeno: Larva (S-Germany, Kempter Wald, May 2020) [N] Colias palaeno: Larva (S-Germany, Kempter Wald, May 2020) [N] Colias palaeno: Larva (S-Germany, Kempter Wald, May 2020) [N] Colias palaeno: Larva (S-Germany, Kempter Wald, May 2020) [N] Colias palaeno: Larva (S-Germany, Kempter Wald, May 2020) [N] Colias palaeno: Larva (S-Germany, Kempter Wald, May 2020) [N] Colias palaeno: Larva in the habitat (S-Bavaria, Ammersee, May 2013) [N] Colias palaeno: Larva (southern Bavaria, west of Lake Ammersee, May 2013) [N] Colias palaeno: Larva (southern Bavaria, west of Lake Ammersee, May 2013) [N] Colias palaeno: Larva (southern Bavaria, west of Lake Ammersee, May 2013) [N] Colias palaeno: Prepupa Colias palaeno: Puppe Colias palaeno: Pupa [S] Colias palaeno: Präpuppe, pupation 1/11 Colias palaeno: Pupation 2/11 Colias palaeno: Pupation 3/11 Colias palaeno: Pupation 4/11 Colias palaeno: Pupation 5/11 Colias palaeno: Pupation 6/11 Colias palaeno: Pupation 7/11 Colias palaeno: Pupation 8/11 Colias palaeno: Pupation 9/11 Colias palaeno: Pupation 10/11 Colias palaeno: Pupation 11/11 Colias palaeno: Pupa Colias palaeno: Pupa, adult almost fully developed Colias palaeno: Pupa, adult almost fully developed Colias palaeno: Already quite overgrown (Betula pubescens) larval habitat in southern Bavaria (west of lake Ammersee, May 2013) [N] Colias palaeno: Larval habitat in an acidic pasture in the west Austrian lake Silvretta in 1900m asl. [N] Colias palaeno: Larval habitat in an acidic pasture in the west Austrian lake Silvretta in 1900m asl. [N] Colias palaeno: Habitat [N] Colias palaeno: Habitat with abundant Vaccinium uliginosum in the Bavarian northern foreland of the Alps. You can already see heavy birch succession because of changes in the natural water regime.  [N] Colias palaeno: Larval habitat (S-Germany, Kempter Wald, July 2020) [N] Colias palaeno: Larval habitat (S-Germany, Kempter Wald, July 2020) [N] Colias palaeno: Larval habitat (S-Germany, Kempter Wald, July 2021) [N] Colias palaeno: Larval habitat (S-Germany, Kempter Wald, July 2021) [N] Colias palaeno: Habitat (S-Germany, Leutkirch, June 2019) [N] Colias palaeno: Such flower-rich fens meadows are essential nectar ressources (S-Germany, Ammersee, June 2020) [N] Colias palaeno: Such flower-rich fens meadows are essential nectar ressources (S-Germany, Kempter Wald, June 2020) [N] Colias palaeno: Nectar habitat with Cirsium palustre (S-Germany, Kempter Wald, Juy 2021) [N] Colias palaeno: Habitat (N-Sweden, Vitberget, late June 2020) [N] Colias palaeno: Habitat in the Alps (western Austria, Rätikon, 2000m asl): northern slope with dwarf shrubs such as Vaccinium uliginosum [N]

Host plants:
The caterpillars feed on Vaccinium uliginosum.

Habitat:
Colias palaeno inhabits on the one hand bogs and moorlands in lower altitudes and on the other hand siliceous areas in high mountains: dry to wet alpine meadows and especially the dwarf shrub belt.

Life cycle:
The adults fly in June and July (in cold regions like high mountains sometimes still in August) and lay eggs on the bilberry leaf upper side. Oviposition takes place especially on sunny and mostly small, marginal shrubs. The young larvae feed on the upper leaf surface (characteristic feeding pattern: scraping of the upper surface). They rest mostly on the upper side of the leaf base on a silken seat pad. Hibernation takes place in the third instar at the lower side of a leaf on a seat pad. This position is already assumed in August or at the latest in September. This hibernation leaf usually falls to the ground into the litter/moss in autumn. The larva moves not until spring. In April, the larvae ascend to the plants again and can be easily detected for example by tapping. Pupation takes place in late May on branches of the host plant or nearby other stalks, etc.

Endangerment factors:
As an inhabitant of bogs Colias palaeno is threatened with extinction. Nowadays, only tiny remnants of the once vast bogs are present in central Europe, and these have in most cases a disturbed water balance. Additionally there are the eutrophication from the air (pollution), climate change and the conversion of the bog environment (agricultural intensification or afforestation). Especially afforestation of moorland edge areas with spruce, but also their transformation into intensive manure meadows deprive the butterflies of the food sources because the bog core - the larval habitat - is poor in flowers. Colias palaeno shows with drainage and disturbance initially a significant increasement in numbers because now more blooms and Vaccinium bushes are available. But then the shrubs grow tall (up to 1 meter) and are finally overgrown by birch or pine succession scrub and Colias palaeno dies out quickly. The same can be observed in some grasslands species after the abandonment of grazing.
Today, there are additionally effects of global warming. Colias palaeno is adjusted to cold winters and especially in low altitudes many larvae perish during the more and more wet and warm winters (fungi).

Remarks:
The total distribution ranges from central and northern Europe across northern Asia to Japan. Beyond this, Colias palaeno is also found in the Nearctic. In N-Europe occurs the pale white nominate form, in central Europe the yellow europome.
In the Alps - in particular the central Alps, but hardly in the Bavarian Alps - Colias palaeno is more widespread in the dwarf shrub zones (Rhododendro-Vaccinietum).



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