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It is commonly believed that the word “butterfly” is a derived from “butter-coloured fly” which is attributed to the yellow of the male Brimstone butterfly, the female being a much paler whitish-green. The Brimstone has a most exquisite wing shape, perfectly matching a leaf when roosting overnight or hibernating within foliage. This is one of the few species that hibernates as an adult and, as such, spends the majority of its life as an adult butterfly. The distribution of this species closely follows that of the larval foodplant. In England, where it is represented by the subspecies rhamni, it can be found south of a line from Cheshire in the west to South-east Yorkshire in the east, although vagrants may turn up in other areas. In Ireland, where it is represented by the subspecies gravesi, its strongholds are in a small area that lies between the borders of West Galway, West Mayo and East Mayo, and a band running through central Ireland from Clare in the west to Kildare in the east. Subspecies: Gonepteryx rhamni rhamni The nominate subspecies was first defined in Linnaeus (1758) as shown here (type locality: Europe, Africa). The population found in England, Wales, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands is represented by this subspecies.
Subspecies: Gonepteryx rhamni gravesi This subspecies was first defined in Huggins (1956-1). This subspecies represents the population found in Ireland, and exhibits minor colour differences with the subspecies rhamni which, based on the formal description, are: 1. The male upperside is slightly paler. 2. The male hindwing upperside is greener. 3. The male forewing underside is greenish white in the central area, almost as in the female, rather than suffused with yellow. 4. The female forewing upperside is bordered with greenish yellow, particularly at the apex. 5. The female hindwing upperside is strongly suffused with greenish-yellow.
This single-brooded butterfly can be found in most months of the year, although peak flight times are in April and May as the hibernating adults emerge, and again in August when their offspring reach adulthood. Autumn is a good time to see this species as the adults are avid nectar-feeders as they build up their fat reserves in preparation for hibernation. Subspecies: Gonepteryx rhamni rhamni Subspecies: Gonepteryx rhamni gravesi The chart(s) above have been correlated with the phenology plot below, taken from the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme. The blue line gives average counts over the full data set from 1976 to date, and the red line gives the average for the last year. 
The Brimstone is a great wanderer and can be found in almost any habitat, from chalk downland to woodland rides to gardens.
The primary larval foodplants are Alder Buckthorn (Frangula alnus) and Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica).
Adults feed primarily on Thistles (Cirsium spp. and Carduus spp.). Betony (Stachys officinalis), Bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scriptus), Bugle (Ajuga reptans), Carline Thistle (Carlina vulgaris), Cowslip (Primula veris), Dandelion (Taraxacum agg.), Devil's-bit Scabious (Succisa pratensis), Fleabane (Pulicaria dysenterica), Knapweeds (Centaurea spp.), Marjoram (Origanum vulgare), Primrose (Primula vulgaris), Ragged Robin (Lychnis flos-cuculi), Red Campion (Silene dioica), Selfheal (Prunella vulgaris), Thistles (Cirsium spp. and Carduus spp.) and Vetches (Vicia spp.) are also used.
Newly-emerged adults spend much of their time feeding, where they always settle with their wings closed, showing a preference for purple and nectar-rich flowers such as Thistle and Devil’s-bit Scabious. The long proboscis of this species also allows the butterfly to take nectar from flowers, such as Teasel, that are beyond the reach of many other butterfly species. With the approach of autumn, the butterfly settles down to hibernate – often among leaves of Ivy, Holly or Bramble. Adults emerging in the spring nectar on a variety of available flowers, such as Dandelion, Primrose, Cowslip, Bugle and Bluebell. They can often be seen resting with their wings at right angles to the sun to gain the full effect of the warm rays at this relatively-cool time of year. Males are the first to be seen in the spring and can be seen patrolling woodland edges, hedgerows and other habitats looking for a mate. When a virgin female is found, male and female fly high into the air, often out of sight, before tumbling back down into a bush where they then mate. Females are quite selective about the plants on which they lay – even on sites with many Buckthorns present, only a very small proportion of these will tend to be used by females in the area. Subspecies: Gonepteryx rhamni rhamni
Subspecies: Gonepteryx rhamni gravesi
Description to be completed. Click here to see a full list of aberrations for this species.
The skittle-shaped eggs are laid singly on the undersides of the youngest Buckthorn leaves at all heights on the foodplant. Although several eggs may be found together, this is either the result of different females using the same leaf, or the same female revisiting the spot at a different time. Newly-laid eggs are pale green, turning yellow and eventually grey as the larva develops inside. This stage lasts between 1 and 2 weeks.
The newly-emerged larva moves to the upperside of the leaf and starts to feed. Despite their superb camouflage, larvae can be relatively-easy to find since they nibble away the edges of the leaf on which they are resting and the feeding damage gives their presence away. When at rest, the larva has a curious habit of lifting the front half of its body off the leaf. The larva goes through 4 moults in total and this stage lasts about a month.
The fully-grown larva usually pupates away from the foodplant and, like the adult butterfly, the pupa is a curious shape, looking like a curled leaf. It is secured to the underside of a leaf or plant stem by a silk girdle and the cremaster. Before the adult butterfly emerges, the yellow spot found in the centre of the forewing can be clearly seen through the pupal case. The pupal stage lasts about 2 weeks.
No similar species found.
Click here to see the distribution of this species overlaid with specific site information. Alternatively, select one of the sites listed below.
The status of the Brimstone is considered stable and it is not, therefore, considered a species of conservation concern.
From The State of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland and the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP) (2007 review).
The following links provide additional information on this butterfly.
The species description provided here has been derived from the author's own observations and the information contained in the following works:
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![Brimstone - imago - Holywells Park, Ipswich - May-06 [Matt Berry]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/4ca897b571666bdb6499ec679388bd9c.jpg "Brimstone - imago - Holywells Park, Ipswich - May-06 [Matt Berry]")
![Brimstone - imago - Lough George, Co Clare - Unknown date [Adrian Riley]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/4fe85ac0fae1458d7daca9a3eb4fe117.jpg "Brimstone - imago - Lough George, Co Clare - Unknown date [Adrian Riley]")
![Brimstone - imago - Holywells Park, Ipswich - 23-Jun-05 [Matt Berry]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/ffa433b49cbff75580374798e1d5a316.jpg "Brimstone - imago - Holywells Park, Ipswich - 23-Jun-05 [Matt Berry]")
![Brimstone - ovum - Bathampton Down - 19-Apr-07 [Chris Isles]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/222f32b2ef9a2f9974b266a0b50ed101.jpg "Brimstone - ovum - Bathampton Down - 19-Apr-07 [Chris Isles]")
![Brimstone - larva - Thatcham - 12-Jul-04 [REARED]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/615c90aedbc8a2fe2ce6309f049e548e.jpg "Brimstone - larva - Thatcham - 12-Jul-04 [REARED]")
![Brimstone - pupa - Thatcham - 25-Jul-04 [REARED]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/7c6b3ae860c87716071ad2f18da7866b.jpg "Brimstone - pupa - Thatcham - 25-Jul-04 [REARED]")
![Brimstone - pupa - Thatcham - 31-Jul-04 [REARED]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/9eb2dfb6572af8d368ed2a4ea0dd30b5.jpg "Brimstone - pupa - Thatcham - 31-Jul-04 [REARED]")
