Fluturat e Shqipërisë
Butterflies of Albania

Sylvain Cuvelier =
Anila Paparisto =

Last update: 20.xii.2023

Gonepteryx farinosa / Powdered Brimstone
Limonja e arrçit
Pieridae - Coliadinae

Gonepteryx farinosa (Zeller, 1847). TL: Fethiye, Mugla Prov., SW Turkey.

1a. Gonepteryx farinosa, distribution map. Historical data ; Additional data from the 2018 update ; New observations since the 2018 update.
1b. Gonepteryx farinosa ♀ underside. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1c. Gonepteryx farinosa ♂ underside. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1d. Gonepteryx farinosa ♂ frontal. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1e. Gonepteryx farinosa ♂ frontal. Greece (© Sylvain Cuvelier)
1f. Gonepteryx farinosa ♀ underside of an overwintered specimen. Greece (© Lazaros Pamperis)

Description
♂♂
Large butterfly. Fw: 28-32 mm. The largest Gonepteryx.
Upf: bright yellow gc, slightly rough scaling.
Uph: distinctly paler than forewing.
Hw: outer margin angle scalloped.
Antennal club above paler.
♀♀
Slightly larger.
Ups: white (yellow form rare)
Unf: greenish costa contrasting with almost white internal area.
Hw: outer margin angle scalloped.
Antennal club above paler.

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

Gonepteryx cleopatra ♂♂ Upf: vivid orange-red area. Upf: feebly dentated apex. Upf: conspicuous orange discal spot. Uph: inconspicious dentate angle at v3. Unf: feebly dentated apex. Unf: orange-red area coming through. Unh: inconspicious dentate angle at v3. 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 cleopatra Upf: pale yellowish gc. Rare yellow females occur. Upf: feebly dentated apex. Upf: conspicuous orange discal spot. Upf: versus uph: slightly different gc. Uph: yellowish gc. Uph: inconspicious dentate angle at v3. Unf: feebly dentated apex. Unh: pale yellowish uniform gc. Unh: inconspicious dentate angle at v3. 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 early June to July, overwintering and flying again from early spring to April, extremely long life span.
Egg: probably short.
Caterpillar: depending on altitude from March to July, probably feeding for 5-6 weeks.
Pupa: probably short.

Habitat
Gonepteryx farinosa inhabits warm and dry rocky areas with scattered bushes from 300 up to 1700 m a.s.l.
Spatial requirement high, population density can be high, sometimes nomadic.

Foodplants
Caterpillars feed on Rhamnus sp. and Palliuris spina-christi, also Pistacia sp., Rhus sp. and Buxus sp. have been mentioned.
Butterfly often feeding in group on high thistles or other high flowers.

Distribution
Albania: very local (more research needed)
Balkan: AL - BG* - BIH - GR - HR - NMK - MNE - RKS - RO - SLO - SRB
Europe: IB - IT - ALP - BAL - NWE - UK - SCA - EEU
Asia Minor, Near East, Transcaucasia and further east.

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

Useful links
Pyrgus.de
Lepiforum
Euroleps

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