Colias crocea (Geoffroy, 1785)  
Dark Cluded Yellow or Common Clouded Yellow, Postillon, Souci,  Желтушка шафрановая, Կրոցեա դեղնաթիթեռ

Distribution and biological peculiarities in Armenia: 
This monotypic species is distributed in Northern Africa, Southern and Central Europe, Asia Minor, Caucasus, Transcaucasia, Iran, and Western Siberia. In Armenia the Clouded Yellow inhabits wide variety of habitats from 400 to 2600 m a.s.l., and are using number of different Legumes as host plant, including Trifolium spp., Vicia spp., Lotus spp., Coronilla spp., Medicago spp., Melilotus spp., Astragalus spp., Onobrychis spp. and others. The species gives up to four generations per year at the lower elevation, reducing the number of generations down to two with increase of altitude. Thus the butterflies are on wing from late April till late October.

Population dynamics:
The species is rather common within typical habitat, and shows increasing population trend. It appears that the species is able to survive there where other, more specialized ones are declining. 

Conservation measures: 
The Dark Clouded Yellow is not included in the Global and Armenian Red Lists, as well as in CITES and Bern Conventions, however is evaluated for the Red Book of European Butterflies as Least Concern - the same status that it deserves at a national scale. The current distribution of the species is covered by number of Protected Areas and Emerald Sites, as well as by Prime Butterfly Areas and there is no need for special conservation measures; however it is important to continue the species' monitoring, especially because it shows ability of colonizing clearings in forests and therefore can indicate the negative processes of deforestation.

Photo: C.R. Pape