Arctic Clouded Yellow vs Dingy Arctic Fritillary

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Arctic Clouded Yellow Dingy Arctic Fritillary
Scientific Name Colias tyche Boloria improba
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Pieridae Nymphalidae
Size 40-50 mm wingspan 26-32 mm wingspan
Habitat Tundra & Arctic Tundra & Arctic
Diet Nectar Feeders Omnivores
Regions Arctic Russia, Siberia, northern Alaska, Yukon Arctic Scandinavia, Svalbard, Arctic Russia, Alaska, Canadian Arctic
Conservation Least Concern Near Threatened

Arctic Clouded Yellow

A medium-sized butterfly with pale greenish-yellow wings and prominent dark borders. The underside has a silvery-white discal spot. It has a powerful, direct flight over open tundra landscapes.

💡

Did You Know?

This butterfly is so well adapted to the Arctic that it can fly in wind speeds that would ground most temperate butterflies.

Dingy Arctic Fritillary

One of the smallest Arctic fritillaries with dull orange-brown wings and dark markings. The underside is mottled brown and gray with a mossy, cryptic appearance. It has a weak, fluttering flight close to the ground.

💡

Did You Know?

This butterfly is so rare and localized that some populations consist of fewer than 100 individuals on isolated mountain summits.