Fluturat e Shqipërisë
Butterflies of Albania

Sylvain Cuvelier =
Anila Paparisto =

Last update: 12.iv.2024

Gonepteryx cleopatra / Cleopatra
Kleopatra
Pieridae - Coliadinae

Gonepteryx cleopatraa (Linnaeus, 1767). TL: Barbaria, Algeria.

1a. Gonepteryx cleopatra, distribution map. Historical data ; Additional data from the 2018 update ; New observations since the 2018 update.
1b. Gonepteryx cleopatra ♂ underside. Italy (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1c. Gonepteryx cleopatra ♂ underside. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1d. Gonepteryx cleopatra ♂ lateral and underside. Italy (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1e. Gonepteryx cleopatra ♀ underside. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1f. Gonepteryx cleopatra ♀ underside. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)

Description
♂♂
Large butterfly. Fw: 25-30 mm.
Upf: deep orange gc, yellow marginal border.
Uns: costa unf and unh pale yellow-green.
Hw: outer margin angle at v3 inconspicious, feebly dentate.
♀♀
Similar to slightly larger size.
Ups: greenish white gc (rare yellow form exists)
Unf: often faint orange gloam through cell.
Hw: outer margin angle at v3 inconspicious, feebly dentate.

Similar species
Overwintered specimens can be discolored and severely damaged at the fw apex and the hw outer margin!

Gonepteryx farinosa ♂♂ Upf: scales with roughened appearance. Upf: dentate. Upf: rounded apex. Upf: weak orange discal spot. Upf: versus uph: different gc. Uph: scalloped. Unf: dentate. Unf: regularly rounded costa. Unh: uniform, yellowish gc. Unh: scalloped Antennal club: upperside paler than the rest of the antenna. Gonepteryx rhamni ♂♂ Upf: uniform gc. Upf: dentate. Upf: straight apex. Upf: conspicuous orange discal spot. Uph: dentate. Unf: greenish-yellow gc. Unh: uniform greenish-yellow gc. Unh: dentate. ♀♀ Gonepteryx can be difficult to distinguish. Gonepteryx farinosa ♀♀ Upf: dentate. Upf: rounded apex. Upf: weak orange discal spot. Uph: scalloped. Unf: dentate. Unf: Unf: contrasted gc, almost white area. Unh: scalloped. Gonepteryx rhamni ♀♀ Upf: dentate. Upf: straight apex. Upf: conspicuous orange discal spot. Uph: dentate. Unf: dentate. Unh: pale greenish gc. Unh: dentate.

Life cycle
Adults: single generation from June to August, overwintering and flying again till May, extremely long life span.
Egg: 1 week.
Caterpillar: feeding in spring for 5-6 weeks.
Pupa: short stage.

Habitat
Gonepteryx cleopatra inhabits bushy and open wooded areas, often in rocky mountain foothills up to 1700 m a.s.l.
Spatial requirement high, population density can be high, sometimes nomadic.

Foodplants
Caterpillars feed on Rhamnus sp.
Butterfly often feeding in group on high thistles or other high flowers.

Distribution
Albania: local.
Balkan: AL - BG - BIH - GR - HR - NMK - MNE - RKS - RO - SLO - SRB
Europe: IB - IT - ALP - BAL - NWE - UK - SCA - EEU
Asia Minor and Near East.

Conservation status
Gonepteryx cleopatra is not endangered.
Albanian Red List: NT.
IUCN Red List, category at the Mediterranean level: LC.

Useful links
Pyrgus.de
Lepiforum
leps.it
Euroleps

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