Butterfly ID
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Field guide · Sweden
Whites and yellows · Sweden

Common brimstone

Gonepteryx rhamni

Common brimstone is one of the earliest butterflies of spring; the male is beautifully citrongul and overwinters as an adult. It is widespread and common in all southern landscapes.

Status in this countryCommon in SwedenLC (Least concern)
Common brimstone

Flight period

The species overwinters as an adult and is active from early spring. The new generation hatches in early July; occasionally worn-out overwinterers may then fly alongside the newly hatched individuals.

Habitat

All locations where the host plant Rhamnus frangula grows in sunny areas: moist Mark in woodland environments, marshes, damp heathland, along waterways, and at lakeside areas. In open cultivated landscapes, particularly on drier calcareous soils, the butterfly is also found on Ulex europaeus.

Identifying features

Wingspan 55–60 mm. The wings are broad with pointed front edges and a pointed midpoint on the outer edge of the hindwing. The male is lemon yellow, while the female is pale greenish-white. Both sexes have small orange spots in the center of both pairs of wings. The antennae are unusually short.

Similar species

No similar species are described in the sources examined. The male’s lemon-yellow colour and pointed wing shape are unmistakable.

Distribution

In Northern Europe, common brimstone is widespread and common in all southern regions and provinces. The northern limit extends from Sör-Tröndelag in Norway to Bottenviken, but the species is rarer north of central Sweden. Its global distribution extends from North Africa through Europe, Turkey, the Caucasus, and Siberia, to northern Burma and Japan.

Biology

The eggs are laid scattered on branches of willow or pear. Egg development takes one week; the larva grows and pupates often on the same branch, which takes approximately one month, and the pupal stage lasts barely two weeks. The female can produce more than 500 eggs during her lifetime.