Gonepteryx rhamni (Linnaeus, 1758)
(Brimstone Butterfly)

Taxonomic hierarchy:
SpeciesGonepteryx rhamni (Brimstone Butterfly)
SubfamilyCOLIADINAE (brimstone and cleopatra butterflies)
FamilyPIERIDAE (white butterflies, brimstones, and orange-tips)
SuperfamilyPAPILIONOIDEA (butterflies)
SuborderGLOSSATA (a suborder of moths)
OrderLEPIDOPTERA (butterflies and moths)
Division Endopterygota (bees, beetles, flies, moths and other insects with wings developing internally)
InfraclassNeoptera (bees, beetles, flies, grasshoppers, moths and other advanced insects)
SubclassPTERYGOTA (bees, beetles, dragonflies, flies, grasshoppers, moths and other winged insects)
ClassINSECTA (true insects)
SubphylumHEXAPODA (insects and other 6-legged organisms)
PhylumARTHROPODA (arthropods)
SuperphylumECDYSOZOA (skin shedders)
CladeBilateria (bilaterally symmetrical animals)
SubkingdomEUMETAZOA (metazoans)
KingdomANIMALIA (animals)
DomainEukaryota (eukaryotes)
LifeBIOTA (living things)
Records of Gonepteryx rhamni (Brimstone Butterfly) :
1: Gonepteryx rhamni (Brimstone Butterfly)
27 Apr 2018 OSGR: SZ09 50° 40’ N, 1° 60’ W Vice County: Dorset (VC 9) England
eggs laid on Purging Buckthorn
Image 1: Egg - lateral view - close-up - microscope low magnificationImage 2: Egg - lateral view - microscope low magnification
2: Gonepteryx rhamni (Brimstone Butterfly)
9 May 2015 OSGR: SU01 50° 60’ N, 1° 60’ W Vice County: South Wilts (VC 8) England
Male, at rest
Image 1: Male - wings together - lateral viewImage 2: Male - wings together - lateral view (2)Image 3: Male - head and antennae - anterior view - enlargedImage 4: Male - head and antennae - dorsal view - enlargedImage 5: Male - head - lateral view - enlarged
3: Gonepteryx rhamni (Brimstone Butterfly)
19 Aug 2013 OSGR: SU56 51° 20’ N, 1° 10’ W Vice County: Berks (VC 22) England
Female, visiting Broad-leaved Everlasting Pea
Image 1: Female - underside viewImage 2: Female - underside view (2)
4: Gonepteryx rhamni (Brimstone Butterfly)
19 Aug 2013 OSGR: SU56 51° 20’ N, 1° 10’ W Vice County: Berks (VC 22) England
Male, visiting Broad-leaved Everlasting Pea
Image 1: Male - underside viewImage 2: Male - underside view (2)
5: Gonepteryx rhamni (Brimstone Butterfly)
16 Jul 2006 OSGR: SU66 51° 20’ N, 1° 10’ W Vice County: North Hants (VC 12) England
visiting Marsh Thistle
Image 1: Male adult - underside - close-upImage 2: Male adult - underside - close-up (2)
6: Gonepteryx rhamni (Brimstone Butterfly)
14 Jul 2006 OSGR: SU66 51° 20’ N, 1° 10’ W Vice County: North Hants (VC 12) England
Female visiting Bramble flowers
Image 1: Female - visiting Bramble flowersImage 2: Female - visiting Bramble flowers - close-upImage 3: Female - visiting Bramble flowers - close-up (2)Image 4: Female - visiting Bramble flowers - close-up (3)
7: Gonepteryx rhamni (Brimstone Butterfly)
14 Jul 2006 OSGR: SU66 51° 20’ N, 1° 10’ W Vice County: North Hants (VC 12) England
Male, feeding on Bramble flower
Image 1: Male - feeding on Bramble flower - close-up - lateral viewImage 2: Male - feeding on Bramble flower - close-up - lateral view (2)Image 3: Male - feeding on Bramble flower - close-up - lateral view (3)Image 4: Male - feeding on Bramble flower - close-up - lateral view (4)Image 5: Male - feeding on Bramble flower - close-up - lateral view (5)Image 6: Male - feeding on Bramble flower - in dappled shade
8: Gonepteryx rhamni (Brimstone Butterfly)
8 Jun 2006 OSGR: SU77 51° 30’ N, 0° 60’ W Vice County: Berks (VC 22) England
4 larvae on Purging Buckthorn . Photos: Caterpillar, chrysalis
Image 1: Larva - dorsal view - close-upImage 2: Larva - dorso-lateral view - close-upImage 3: Larva - dorso-lateral view - close-up (2)Image 4: Larva - lateral view - close-upImage 5: Larva - latero-dorsal view - close-upImage 6: Larva - latero-dorsal view - close-up (2)Image 7: Larva - latero-dorsal view - close-up (3)Image 8: Pupa - fresh - lateral viewImage 9: Pupa - fresh - lateral view (2)
9: Gonepteryx rhamni (Brimstone Butterfly)
29 Jul 2001 OSGR: SU57 51° 30’ N, 1° 10’ W Vice County: Berks (VC 22) England
at thistle flowers
Image 1: On thistleImage 2: On thistle (2)
10: Gonepteryx rhamni (Brimstone Butterfly)
2 Aug 1970 OSGR: TQ15 51° 20’ N, 0° 20’ W Vice County: Surrey (VC 17) England
on scabious
Image 1: Female - front viewImage 2: Female - side view - wings togetherImage 3: Male - side view - wings together
11: Gonepteryx rhamni (Brimstone Butterfly)
4 May 1970 OSGR: TG12 52° 50’ N, 1° 10’ E Vice County: East Norfolk (VC 27) England
Ovum, on Purging Buckthorn, reared to adult
Image 1: 7. Adult male - wings together (21 June 70)Image 2: 1. Ovum (4 May 70) - highly enlargedImage 3: 2. Newly hatched larva (9 May 70) - highly enlargedImage 4: 3. Larva - half grown - side view (17 May 70) - enlargedImage 5: 4. Larva - full grown (2 June 70) - enlargedImage 6: 5. Pupating (5 June 70) - enlargedImage 7: 6. Pupa (5 June 70) - enlarged

Identification Works

AuthorYearTitleSource
Smith, R.M. & Roy, D.B. 2008 Revealing the foundations of biodiversity British Wildlife Vol 20, No. 1: 17-25.

Gonepteryx rhamni (Brimstone Butterfly) may also be included in identification literature listed under the following higher taxa:

NBNNBN (data.nbn.org.uk) has a distribution map for Gonepteryx rhamni (Brimstone Butterfly)
BioInfoBioInfo (www.bioinfo.org.uk) has 2 host/parasite/foodplant and/or other relationships for Gonepteryx rhamni (Brimstone Butterfly)
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