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Wingspan large 58 mm
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Butterfly Survey 1976-2020
Brimstone Gonepteyrx rhamni
Male underside - always rests wings closed
The Brimstone is a large prolific butterfly that ranges far and wide over our local Kentish downlands, but it can also turn up closer to London in suitable areas. During the early years of this study the butterfly had profited greatly from the neglect in managing rough areas and in the decline of sheep grazing, a trend that allowed buckthorn, the butterflies foodplant, to flourish. I have seen this butterfly from February onwards as a first herald of Spring. It has presented in Bromley and Orpington and from Eynsford to Otford - and almost everywhere else. suburban or country - parks, rough pastures and suitably uncultivated road and railway embankments.
Bright yellow male emerges in advance of the pale female, which can be confused with the large white.
Habit: male flies with a swift searching flight- females are more sedate and fly lower, both settle with wings closed and appear like leaves.
Single brooded: over-winters as a butterfly and can be occasionally found sheltering at the base of its foodplant or other suitable hideaway places during winter.
Larval Foodplant: Buckthorn, Alder Buckthorn
Status: not under threat, but density of butterflies declining.
WH - White Hill Shoreham, BC - Bromley Common, BIC-Bickley, Kes - Keston, Ha - Hayes --BN - Bromley North - Ey Eynsford - Orp-Orpington, FACK - Fackenden Down and Bank
Thanks to Howard Walmsley and David Davis, Fred O'Hare
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