Fluturat e Shqipërisë
Butterflies of Albania

Sylvain Cuvelier =
Anila Paparisto =

Last update: 05.viii.2023

Gonepteryx rhamni / Brimstone
Limonja e barbletës
Pieridae - Coliadinae

Gonepteryx rhamni (Linnaeus, 1758) TL: Sweden.

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

Description
♂♂
Large butterfly. Fw: 26-30 mm.
Ups: uniform lemon-yellow gc on both wings.
Upf: scales without roughened appearance.
Hw: dentate angle on outer margin at v3 conspicious.
♀♀
Similar size, similar markings.
Ups: greenish-white gc.

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 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 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 farinosa ♀♀ Upf: dentate. Upf: rounded apex. Upf: weak orange discal spot. Uph: scalloped. Unf: dentate. Unf: Unf: contrasted gc, almost white area. Unh: scalloped.

Life cycle
Adults: single generation from May to August, overwintering low in a shrub, flying again in early spring till April, extremely long life span.
Egg: 4-8 days.
Caterpillar: 24-43 days.
Pupa: 9-16 days.

Habitat
Gonepteryx rhamni inhabits mainly wooded areas, but also in open grassy, rocky places with bushy grasslands and even in parks and gardens up to 2000 m a.s.l.
Spatial requirement high, population density can be high, sometimes nomadic and sporadically migrating.

Foodplants
Caterpillars feed on Rhamnus sp. and Frangula alnus.
Butterfly feeding on a variety of flowers, depending of the season.

Distribution
Albania: widespread.
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, Caucasus and further east.

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

Useful links
Bink 2015
Pyrgus.de
Lepiforum
Euroleps

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