Clouded yellow
It cannot survive cold winters in any life stage, so populations further from its warm core range are rebuilt each year by fresh migrants.
| Where | Grassland, farmland, and coasts |
|---|---|
| Size | 46 to 62 mm wingspan |
| When | May to October |
The clouded yellow is a golden to orange-yellow butterfly with a broad black border on all four wings and a black spot at the centre of each forewing; a paler, whitish form of the female also occurs.
Caterpillars feed on clovers and related plants, and the species is a strong migrant that breeds in warm regions year round, with numbers reaching farther across its range in some years.
Traits
Habitat
Grassland
Colour
Orange, Yellow, Black
Active
Day
To people
Harmless to people.
Activity through the year
Often confused with
The pale clouded yellow is a similar size at 52 to 62 mm but paler lemon yellow with more complete black margins, compared with the clouded yellow's deeper golden orange and broader black border.
Questions
Is the Clouded yellow dangerous to people?
Harmless to people.
When can you see the Clouded yellow?
The Clouded yellow can be seen from May to October, by day.
Plate retouched from a photo by NSG group from Lund, Sweden, CC0, Wikimedia Commons Licence
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Butterflies and moths›Whites and yellows›Colias
Last updated 2026-09-26. Every entry is checked against published sources.