Wednesday, 15 February 2012
Brimstone Butterfly
Scientific Name:
Gonepteryx rhamni
Wingspan (mm):
60-74mm Description
Male upperside is bright yellow the female is greenish white.Tip of forewing has a sharp point, all four wings have a red dot in the centre.Underside pale green and looks like a leaf in both the male and the female.Adults in the winter hides in ivy and evergreens and are one of the first to arrive in spring. Similar species is the female Cleopatra - Gonepteryx cleopatra
Distribution
Almost all Europe except in Scotland
Habitat
The Brimstone occurs in scrubby grassland, woodland (especially damp woodland, hedgerows, and open ground wherever foodplants are available in sunny positions. The butterfly ranges widely and can often be seen flying along roadside verges and tracks with hedgerows, well away from foodplants.
Diet
The larvae feed on leaves of Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica), which occurs mainly on calcareous soils, and Alder Buckthorn (Frangula alnus), which is found on moist acid soils and wetlands.
Status
UK Biodiversity Action Plan: not listed Butterfly Conservation priority: low European threat status: not threatened Protected in Northern Ireland