White Admiral vs Northern Clouded Yellow

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute White Admiral Northern Clouded Yellow
Scientific Name Limenitis camilla Colias hecla
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Nymphalidae Pieridae
Size 52-64 mm wingspan 38-50 mm wingspan
Habitat Woodlands Tundra & Arctic
Diet Omnivores Nectar Feeders
Regions Europe, temperate Asia, Japan Arctic Canada, Greenland, Iceland, northern Scandinavia, Siberia
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

White Admiral

An elegant woodland butterfly with dark brown wings crossed by a broad white band, noted for its graceful gliding flight. It has expanded northward in Britain in recent decades.

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Did You Know?

It has one of the most elegant flight patterns of any European butterfly, alternating glides with short wing beats.

Northern Clouded Yellow

A bright orange-yellow butterfly with broad dark borders on the upperwings. The underside is greenish-yellow with a prominent silver discal spot. It is a strong, fast flier over tundra terrain.

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Did You Know?

This butterfly was first described from specimens collected in Greenland by early polar explorers.