The beautiful clouded yellow butterfly is a migratory large yellow butterfly species most often seen in the UK in late summer and autumn.
The clouded yellow butterfly (Colias croceus) is a migrant species in the UK. Unable to survive the winter here, each spring it flies north from its breeding areas near the Mediterranean. In some years large numbers reach our shores, in others it can be completely absent.
Being a long-distance migrant, the clouded yellow has a strong flight. This large yellow butterfly might get mistaken for one of our other yellow British butterfly species, such as the brimstone, or even a white. When the clouded yellow is in flight we get a glimpse of the orange-yellow upperwing with its broad black margin but at rest it invariably closes its wings so we can see only its underside. Underneath the clouded yellow is deep yellow with a pair of silvery spots in the centre of the hindwing and a dark spot in the centre of the forewing.
Although a migrant, the clouded yellow does breed in the UK during the summer. Early migrants arrive in May and June, their young combined with later migrants can boost numbers significantly during August and a further brood can be seen on the wing during September and October.
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