California dogface butterfly
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| Colias eurydice Boisduval, 1855 |
The California dogface butterfly ( Colias eurydice or Zerene eurydice Boisduval) has been the state insect of the U.S. state of California since 1972. California was the first state to choose a state insect. Its range is limited to that state.
Its name comes from a wing pattern resembling a dog's face (some think it looks like a poodle) which is found on the male of the species. Its wings are an iridescent bluish-black, orange and sulfur-yellow in color. The female has a small black dot on each of its yellow forewings. The typical forewing length is between 22 to 31 mm.
Larvae feed on False Indigo (species name: Amorpha californica) and adults feed on flower nectar. They are said to be especially fond of purple flowers.
They are hard to get close to, are hard to catch unless nectaring at flowers, and are hard to get a photograph of with their wings open because they fly very fast. In the Santa Ana Mountains in Southern California, adult Dogface butterflies can often be seen nectaring at roadside thistles.
