Common brimstone Gonepteryx rhamni

Features

Butterflies usually suck nectar with closed wings and rarely spread them, resembling a fallen, yellowed leaf from the side (protective color). The adult generation develops in June and is active until July and then again in the fall. Adults overwinter and appear very early in spring, on the first sunny and warmer days.

Species	Insect
Living space	Bright forest, Meadow, Treeline
Size	50-60 mm wingspan

Description

Adults: the wings are distinctly lemon yellow, slightly more intense in males, slightly paler in females, very large and broad, with pointed tips. There is an orange dot on each of the wings, which is larger on the hind wings. The veins in the wings stand out strongly. On the underside, the dots are slightly more brownish. The caterpillar is green, with a pronounced light lateral band that clearly divides the slightly darker abdominal side from the rest of the body. The pupae are secured to stems and leaves using silk; a cremastral hook attaches to a silk padding, and a length of silk secures the pupae around its middle. The pupae have a primarily green colouration, but right before adult emergence for males, the wing areas turn yellow.