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Butterfly taxonomy (classification) The skippers The swallowtails The whites The hairstreaks, coppers and blues. Includes the Duke of Burgundy. The nymphalids, fritillaries and browns. Includes the Monarch.
Brimstone Female, Crawley, Sussex 18-April-06Wingspan
60 - 74mm
Brimstone

Gonepteryx rhamni
Pronunciation go-NEP-tuh-ricks
RAM-ny
Linnaeus, 1758
Ref: 1546
Superfamily: Papilionoidea
Family: Pieridae
Subfamily: Coliadinae
Genus: Gonepteryx
Subgenus:  
Species: rhamni
Subspecies:rhamni (Linnaeus, 1758)
 gravesi (Huggins, 1956)
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Male
Brimstone Male, Botany Bay/Oaken Wood, Sussex 14-July-06
Male Underside
Female
Brimstone - imago - Stockbridge Down - 16-Jul-08 (1)
Female Underside

Introduction  

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.

Subspecies: rhamni

This subspecies represents the population in the British Isles, with the exception of Ireland.

Subspecies: gravesi

This subspecies represents the population found in Ireland, and exhibits minor colour differences with the subspecies rhamni.

Distribution  

The distribution of this species closely follows that of the larval foodplant and is rarely seen, therefore, in parts of Wales, northern England and Scotland.

Annual Cycle  

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: rhamni


Subspecies: gravesi


Habitat  

The Brimstone is a great wanderer and can be found in almost any habitat, from chalk downland to woodland rides to gardens.

Larval Foodplants  

The primary larval foodplants are Alder Buckthorn (Frangula alnus) and Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica).

Nectar Sources  

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.

Imago  

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: rhamni


Brimstone Female, Crawley, Sussex 18-April-06
Photo © Vince Massimo
18-Apr-2006
Brimstone Male, Botany Bay/Oaken Wood, Sussex 14-July-06
Photo © Vince Massimo
14-Jul-2006
Brimstone - imago - Farley Mount Country Park - 24-Jun-06
Photo © Pete Eeles
24-Jun-2006
Brimstone - imago - Noar Hill - 28-Jul-06 (0638)
Photo © Pete Eeles
04-Aug-2006
Brimstone - imago - Stockbridge Down - 16-Jul-08 (1)
Photo © Pete Eeles
16-Jul-2008
Brimstone -imago (male) - Totternhoe, 24th May 2009
Photo © NickB
24-May-2009
08 G. rhamni 3 TF147743 2308 002
Photo © Paul
Brimstone - imago - Stockbridge Down - 12-Jul-09 (1)
Photo © Pete Eeles
12-Jul-2009
Brimstone - imago - Holywells Park, Ipswich - 23-Jun-05 [Matt Berry]
Photo © Matt Berry
Brimstone - imago - Holywells Park, Ipswich - May-06 [Matt Berry]
Photo © Matt Berry
Brimstone
Photo © Gruditch
26-Apr-2008

Subspecies: gravesi


Brimstone - imago - Lough George, Co Clare - Unknown date [Adrian Riley]
Photo © Adrian Riley

Aberrations  

Description to be completed

Ovum  

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.


Brimstone - ovum - Bentley Wood - 24-Apr-04 (2)
Photo © Pete Eeles
Brimstone - ovum - Bentley Wood - 24-Apr-04
Photo © Pete Eeles
Brimstone - ovum - Bathampton Down - 19-Apr-07 [Chris Isles]
Photo © Chris Isles

Larva  

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.


Brimstone larva. Bournemouth 15.Jun 06.
Photo © Mikhail
Brimstone - larva - Pamber Forest - 19-Jun-04
Photo © Pete Eeles
19-Jun-2004
Brimstone - larva - Pamber Forest - 25-Jun-04
Photo © Pete Eeles
25-Jun-2004
Brimstone - larva - Thatcham - 09-Jun-07 (1)
Photo © Pete Eeles
09-Jun-2007
Brimstone - larva - Thatcham - 12-Jul-04 [REARED]
Photo © Pete Eeles
12-Jul-2004

Pupa  

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.


Brimstone - pupa - Thatcham - 25-Jul-04 [REARED]
Photo © Pete Eeles
25-Jul-2004
Brimstone - pupa - Thatcham - 31-Jul-04 [REARED]
Photo © Pete Eeles
31-Jul-2004

Similar Species  

No similar species found.

Videos  

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Sites  

Click here to see the distribution of this species overlaid with specific site information. Alternatively, select one of the sites listed below.

RatingSites
Banstead Downs, Barkbooth Lot, Bedfont Lakes Country Park LNR, Gait Barrows, Latterbarrow, Moors Valley Country Park, Pamber Forest, Roudsea Wood NNR, Warton Crag, Whitbarrow NNR
Denbies Hillside, Devils Ditch, Fleam Dyke, Malling Down, Midgham Lakes, Stockbridge Down
Bovey Valley Woodlands, Mill Hill, Oaken Wood
Aylesbeare Common
Not rated
Arnside Knott, Hounslow Heath LNR, Hutton Roof Crags, Hyde, Mayford Pond, Winsdon Hill

Conservation Status  

The status of the Brimstone is considered stable and it is not, therefore, considered a species of conservation concern.

UK BAP StatusDistribution TrendPopulation Trend
Not ListedStableIncrease

From The State of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland and the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP) (2007 review).


Links  

The following links provide additional information on this butterfly.

References  

The species description provided here has been derived from the author's own observations and the information contained in the following works:

  • A Natural History of British Butterflies, by F.W.Frohawk.
  • British and Irish Butterflies, by Adrian M. Riley
  • South's British Butterflies, by T.G.Howarth (which is based extensively on the classic work, "The Butterflies of the British Isles", by Richard South).
  • The Butterflies of Britain and Ireland, by Jeremy Thomas and Richard Lewington.
  • The Millennium Atlas of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland, by Jim Asher, Martin Warren, Richard Fox, Paul Harding, Gail Jeffcoate, Stephen Jeffcoate.
  • The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland Volume 7 (1) Hesperiidae to Nymphalidae (the Butterflies), by A. Maitland Emmet and John Heath (editors).
  • The State of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland, Richard Fox, Jim Asher, Tom Brereton, David Roy and Martin Warren.

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