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Brimstone / Obični zućak
Gonepteryx rhamni L.
45.0754, 13.6484
Field Notes
Description:
On the upper side the male is sulphur yellow and the female white with a greenish tinge but both have an orange spot in the centre of each wing. They never settle with their wings open and from the underside the sexes are more difficult to separate but the female is still paler.
Habitat:
It lives in Europe, North Africa and Asia as far east as Mongolia.
This one was found in my garden on Lavender plant (Lavandula hybrida).
Notes:
It is the only species of its genus, and is therefore simply known locally as the brimstone.
It is one of the longest lived butterflies, living up to 13 months, although most of this time is spent in hibernation. As it is often the first butterfly to be seen in the spring, sometimes as early as January when hibernating adults are awoken on a sunny day, there is a popular myth that it is this butterfly which gave us the word butterfly, a corruption of butter-colored fly. Related spotting: http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/22877041
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