Genus Colias Fabricius, 1807
       
Synonyms
[ORIG] Colias Fabricius, 1807. In: Illiger, Mag. Insektenk.6: 284.  
    TS: Papilio hyale Linnaeus, 1758 by designation by Opinion 146 (ICZN, 1943: 111).
[JH] Colias subgenus Eurymus Horsfield, [1829]. Cat. lepid. Ins. Mus. East-India: 134.  
    TS: Papilio hyale Linnaeus, 1758 by original designation ; nec Rafinesque, 1815. Analyse Nat.: 117.
[ND] Ganura Zetterstedt, [1839]. Ins. Lapon. (4): 908.  
    TS: -. ; nomen dubium, this name was published in synonymy and is unavailable (Code ICZN, Art. 11.6).
[JS] Scalidoneura Butler, 1871. Proc. zool. Soc. Lond. 1871: 250-251.  
    TS: Scalidoneura hermina Butler, 1871 by original designation.  
[JS] Eriocolias Watson, 1895. Entomologist 28: 167-168.  
    TS: Papilio edusa Fabricius, 1787 by original designation.
[JS] Coliastes Hemming, 1931. Entomologist 64: 273.  
    TS: Papilio hyale Linnaeus, 1758 by original designation.
[JS] Protocolias Petersen, 1963. J. Res. Lepid. 1(2): 144.  
    TS: Type species: Colias imperialis Butler, 1871 by original designation.
[JS] Protocolias subg. Mesocolias Petersen, 1963. J. Res. Lepid. 1(2): 144.  
    TS: Colias vauthierii Guérin-Méneville, 1830 by original designation.  
[JS] Colias subg. Neocolias Berger, 1986. Lambillionea 86(7/8, suppl.): 21.  
    TS: Papilio erate Esper, 1805 by original designation.
[JS] Colias subg. Palaeocolias Berger, 1986. Lambillionea 86(7/8, suppl.): 21-22.  
    TS: Colias ponteni Wallengren, 1860 by original designation.
[JS] Colias subg. Eucolias Berger, 1986. Lambillionea 86(7/8, suppl.): 22.  
    TS: Papilio palaeno Linnaeus, 1760by original designation.
[JS] Colias subg. Similicolias Berger, 1986. Lambillionea 86(7/8, suppl.): 23.  
    TS: Papilio lesbia Fabricius, 1775 by original designation.  
[JS] Colias subg. Euriocolias Berger, 1986. Lambillionea 86(7/8, suppl.): 23.  
    TS: Papilio croceus Geoffroy, 1785 by original designation.
[JS] Colias subg. Paracolias Berger, 1986. Lambillionea 86(7/8, suppl.): 24.  
    TS: Colias dimera Doubleday, 1847 by original designation.
[JS] Asiocolias Korb, 2005. Cat. Butt. ex-USSR: 20.  
    TS: Colias christophi Grum-Grshimaïlo, 1885 by original designation.  
Notes  
(1) Colias Fabricius, 1807 (with type-species Papilio hyale Linnaeus, 1758) was placed on the Official List of Generic Names in Zoology by Opinion 146 (ICZN, 1943. Opinions and declarations rendered by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature 2(13): 111-118.  
(2) List of the species found in the Western Palearctic: Colias hyale (Linnaeus, 1758) ; C. alfacariensis Ribbe, 1905 ; C. phicomone (Esper, [1780]) ; C. aurorina Herrich-Schäffer, [1850] ; C. chrysotheme (Esper, [1781]) ; C. chlorocoma Christoph, 1888 ; C. thisoa Ménétriés, 1832 ; C. erate (Esper, [1805]) ; C. croceus (Geoffroy, 1785) ; C. myrmidone (Esper, [1781]) ; C. caucasica Staudinger, 1871 ; C. palaeno (Linnaeus, 1761) ; C. tyche (Boeber, 1812) ; C. hecla Lefebvre, 1836.  
(3) List of the species not found in the Western Palearctic: C. alta Staudinger, 1886 ; C. fieldii Ménétriés, 1855 ; C. aias Fruhstorfer, 1903 ; C. grumi Alpheraky, 1897 ; C. tibetana Riley, 1923 ; C. alpherakii Staudinger, 1882 ; … (see the complete list in Grieshuber & Lamas 2007)  
Bibliography  
Berger L. A. 1986.
Systhématique du genre Colias F. Lepidoptera-Pieridae.
Lambillionea 86(7/8, suppl.): 1-67, fig. (url)		  
  New taxa: Neocolias, Palaeocolias, Eucolias, Euriocolias, Similicolias, Paracolias.  
     
Butler A. G. 1871.
Descriptions of some new species and a new genus of Pierinae, with a monographie list of the species of Ixias.
Proceedings of the scientific meetings of the Zoological Society of London 1871: 250-254, pl. 19. (url)		  
  New taxon: Scalidoneura.  
     
Fabricius J. C. 1807.
Systema Glossatorum. In: Illiger,Die neueste Gattungs-Eintheilung der Schmetterlinge aus den Linnéischen Gattungen Papilio und Sphinx.
Magazin für Insektenkunde 6: 279-289. (url)		  
  New taxon: Colias.  
     
Hemming A. F. 1931.
-.
The Entomologist, an illustrated journal of general entomology  64: 273. (url not available)		  
  New taxon: Coliastes.  
     
Horsfield T. [1828]-[1829].
Descriptive catalogue of the lepidopterous insects contained in the Museum of the Honourable East-India Company: illustrated by coloured figures of new species and of the metamorphosis of Indian Lepidoptera, with introductory observations on a general arrangement of this order of insects. pp. 1-146 p., pl. 1-8. (url)		  
  New taxon: Eurymus.  
     
ICZN. 1943.
Opinion 146: Suspension of the rules for Colias Fabricius, 1807 (Insecta, Lepidoptera).
Opinions and declarations rendered by the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature 2(13): 111-118. (url)
Designation TS for: ColiasFabricius, 1807.		  
       
Korb S. K. 2005.
A catalogue of butterflies of the ex-USSR, with remarks on systematics and nomenclature. Nizhny Novgorod: S. Korb press (Ed.). pp. 1-156. (url not available)		  
  New taxon: Asiocolias.  
     
Petersen B. 1963.
The male genitalia of some Colias species.
The Journal of Research on the Lepidoptera 1(2) : 135-156, fig. (url)		  
  New taxa: Protocolias, Mesocolias.  
     
Watson J. 1895.
On the rearrangement of the Fabrician genus Colias, and the proposal of a new genus of Pierinae.
The Entomologist, an illustrated journal of general entomology  28: 166-168. (url)		  
  New taxon: Eriocolias.  
     
Zetterstedt J. W. [1839]-1840.
Insecta Lapponica. Lipsiae (=Leipzig): L. Voss (Ed.). pp. I-vi, 1-1140. (url)		  
  New taxon: Ganura.  
Reference publications  
Bozano G. C., Coutsis J., Herman P., Allegrucci G., Cesaroni D. & Sbordoni V. 2016.
In: Bozano G. C., Guide to the Butterflies of the Palearctic Region. Pieridae part 3, Subfamily Coliadinae (partim), Subfamily Dismorphiinae. Milano: Omnes Artes (Ed.). pp. 1-70.		  
       
Grieshuber J. & Lamas G. 2007.
A synonymic list of the genus Colias Fabricius, 1807 (Lepidoptera: Pieridae).
Mitteilungen der münchner entomologischen Gesellschaft 97:131-171. (url)		  
       
Grieshuber J., Worthy B. & Lamas. 2012.
The genus Colias Fabricius, 1807. Jan Haugum’s annotated catalogue of the Old World Colias. Pardubice: Tshikolovets Publications (Ed.). pp. 1-438 p. (url not available)		  
       
Verhulst J. 2000.
Les Colias du Globe: Monograph of the Genus Colias. [Vol. I]. Keltern: Geock & Evers (ed.). pp. 1-263. (url not available)		  
       
Verhulst J. 2001.
Les Colias du Globe: Monograph of the Genus Colias. [Vol. II]. Keltern: Geock & Evers (ed.). pp. 264-308, pl. 1-183. (url not available)		  
Origin and meaning of the name Colias
The generic name Colias has its origin in Greek mythology and ancient geography. It derives from Colias (Κολιάς), a coastal promontory in Attica (Greece), known in antiquity as Cape Kolias. This locality was the site of a sanctuary dedicated to Aphrodite, who was worshipped there under the epithet Aphrodite Colias.
In ancient Greek religion, an epiclesis is a cultic byname or epithet used to designate a particular aspect, function, or local manifestation of a deity. In this case, Colias refers specifically to Aphrodite as venerated at Cape Kolias. The epithet is therefore toponymic, linking the goddess to a precise geographic location.
Grammatical statut
Form: Latinized Greek noun
Nominative singular: Colias
Genitive singular (classical): Coliadis
Gender: feminine
Declension: Greek first declension, Latinized
Grammatical statut
Form: Latinized Greek noun
Nominative singular: Colias
Genitive singular (classical): Coliadis
Gender: feminine
Declension: Greek first declension, Latinized
Code ICZN: formation of family-group names
Art. 29 : stem + suffix
stem (genitive singular) 
- latinized genitive: Coliadis
- resulting stem: Coliad-
suffix: -inae (subfamily)
resulting subfamily name : Coliad + inae = Coliadinae
  
 
Archives of Western Palearctic Lepidoptera
Editors-in-Chief: Michel Taymans & Sylvain Cuvelier