Has Colias hyale (Linnaeus, 1758) ever existed in Madeira (Insecta: Lepidoptera: Pieridae)?

Abstract

The reports of the presence of Colias hyale from Madeira are examined and commented upon. The frequency of large populations of Colias crocea on the island reported by various researchers is documented. It is suggested that the museum specimens, which were observed by Burr in the collections of the Museu de História Natural do Seminário do Funchal, if they were of Madeiran origin, were most probably Colias crocea f. cremonae. The resemblance of C. hyale to this form has been reported previously and it has been recorded from Madeira more recently, when the population of C. crocea was abundant. Most recently, Payne considered that C. hyale had been recorded on Madeira. It is concluded that C. hyale should be removed permanently from the list of Madeiran butterflies.