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Project Noah Nature School
Gonepteryx rhamni
Disguised as a leaf, this butterfly was really interesting to spot. Update (Thanks to Pedro): Second photo contains both Gonepteryx cleopatra (with yellow open wings) and Gonepteryx rhamni. First time I see those butterflies, , both specimen are though to distinguish when they have closed wings. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gonepteryx_... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gonepteryx_...
It lives in Europe, North Africa and Asia; across much of its range, it is the only species of its genus, and is therefore simply known locally as the brimstone.
I was happy to discover and see them with my sister, after haven't seen her for a while... There was many different butterflies on this Buddleia (Update thanks to Debbie)
Spotted on Jul 20, 2013
Submitted on Aug 2, 2013
15 Comments
Thank you for noticing them :) Well, all are beauties of nature :)
Thank you Adarsha, you have nice photographs too!
Great series :)
Maybe we are always spotting the same one... :)
Or, they must be addicted!
Let me add that every single time I've spotted a Gonepteryx sp., it was feeding off a purple flower!
It doesn't have to be a different photo the first one is absolutley fine to use twice as it has two species in it :-) glad we could both help!
Thank you Debbie, I have also updated the Buddleia in the text (I guess I need some sleep because I wrongly picked up the second butterly name, and the buddleia!).
I will check if I have another photo for the cleopatra one and make another spotting later!
Thank you Frederic thats very kind :-) you can make another spotting using photo two again if you want to submit the cleopatra butterfly you managed to capture on the Buddleia.
Thank you Pedro and congrats for your photos as well! I have updated the text and already changed the photos order.
Debbie, than you too! Your photographs are really nice!
I have spottings of both species actually, so I've already done a fair amount of research on them.
I do think Debbie is right and the 2nd one is a Common Brimstone, that green tone is very characteristic. And I agree you should choose the 2nd shot as the main, it's beautiful!
The second photo is a Brimstone but in the first photo you have two beauties so you can make this in to another spotting, the one with open wings and orange on it is as Pedro says a Cleopatra, There is no need to change the name of this spotting as it is correct but I would choose photo 2 to be photo one as it is stunning.
Thank you for the update, do you think that the second photo is correct? I see that you have one in your collection, so I guess you already checked it.
There a slight yello line on the top wing on the second photo. Maybe I was wrong with the first name. I will update it then! Thanks
Well, this makes this an even better spotting! I love both species.
The second shot is beautiful, I must say.
I am glad you said that first Pedro as I was just thinking exactly the same! the orange on the upper wings isnt present in a Brimstone! photo 2 is unmistakebly Brimstone though.
In the first picture, isn't the one with the open wings a Cleopatra Butterfly (Gonepteryx cleopatra)?