Bug FAQChristina Sulphur
Colias christina · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Pieridae
Also called: Christina's Sulphur
The Christina sulphur is a medium-sized butterfly with a wingspan of about 35 to 52 mm and a bright orange-red ground colour marked by a yellow base on both wings. It lives in western North America from the Yukon and Northwest Territories down through British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Wyoming, Montana and Utah, and flies from May through September.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The upper side shows orange-red ground colour with a conspicuous yellow basal area on each wing. The underside is plain except for a single median spot. Females are almost white, with only a little dark dusting on the forewing edge and a black, white-centered median spot.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan ranges from 35 to 52 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
It is found along montane forest roads, trails, glades and clearings.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Caterpillars feed on species of Trifolium and Hedysarum.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Adults are on the wing from May until September.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
Flight period spans May through September.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The Christina sulphur is native to western North America.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 11 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Alaska, Idaho, South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Washington, Utah, California.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
When can I see Christina sulphur butterflies?
Adults fly from May through September.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Pieridae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colias_christina
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-24.