Brimstone (butterfly)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Brimstone

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Suborder:	Ditrysia
Superfamily:	Papilionoidea
Family:	Pieridae
Subfamily:	Coliadinae
Tribe:	Gonepterini
Genus:	Gonepteryx
Species:	G. rhamni

Binomial name

Gonepteryx rhamni
(Linnaeus, 1758)

The Brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni is a butterfly of the Pieridae family.

Appearance, behaviour and distribution

Found in Europe, Asia, and even north Africa, it is one of the longest lived butterflies, living up to thirteen months, although most of this time is spent in hibernation.

On the upper side the male is sulphur yellow and the female white with a greenish tinge but both have an orange spot in the center of each wing. They never settle with their wings open and from the underside the sexes are more difficult to separate but the female is still paler. Their wing shape is unique among British butterflies (although there are similar, closely related species in southern and eastern Europe) and is designed to act as camouflage while they rest and during hibernation. widely distributed across the southern half of the UK, it has been steadily increasing its range in the north of England but is limited by the distribution of its larval foodplants and is quite possibly close to its maximum possible distribution now unless their foodplants' range also increases. In Ireland it has a much more localised distribution. It is widespread across Europe, North Africa and eastwards to Mongolia Often the first butterfly to be seen in the spring, sometimes as early as January when hibernating adults are awoken on a sunny day, there is a popular myth that it is this butterfly which gave us the word BUTTERFLY, a corruption of butter-coloured fly.

Life cycle and foodplants

The eggs are laid singly on either buckthorn Rhamnus cathartica or Alder Buckthorn Frangula alnus leaves, the only two fooplants and females will wander far and wide in search for these small trees. The larvae and Pupae are both green and very well camouflaged making them difficult to find in the wild. Upon emerging from the pupae, Brimstone butterflies spend the summer feeding on nectar to build up energy reserves for the winter and by the end of August they are already beginning their long sleep. They seek out evergreen scrub, a favourite being dense, old Ivy growth. The brimstone usually hides until early spring, although a warm January day will occasionally wake an eager male. There is only one brood a year.