Common brimstone
Gonepteryx rhamni (Linnaeus, 1758)
Status not recordedbutterflies and moths
The common brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni) is an insect in the butterflies and moths group, placed in the family Pieridae of the order Lepidoptera. It belongs to the genus Gonepteryx within the superfamily Papilionoidea, class Insecta, phylum Arthropoda and kingdom Animalia.
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Quick facts about the common brimstone
Its scientific name authority is (Linnaeus, 1758), and it is also called the brimstone or brimstone butterfly. The Catalogue of Life lists the common brimstone as living, not extinct.
- Weight
- Not recorded
- Length
- Not recorded
- Wingspan
- 6 cm – 7.4 cmsrc for Wingspan
- Lifespan
- Not recorded
- Main food
- Not recorded
- Habitat
- wetland, woodlandsrc for Habitat
- Young per litter or clutch
- Not recorded
- Reproduction
- Eggssrc for Reproduction
- Conservation status
- Not recorded
- Countries on record
- Not recorded
How big is the common brimstone?
Photos of the common brimstone
Only freely licensed photos are shown. Each carries its creator and licence.
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_Gonepteryx_rhamni_-_Foret_de_Bouconne_France_-_female.jpg){kind=link}
Where does the common brimstone live?
Not recorded
What is the common brimstone?
Gonepteryx rhamni, commonly named the Common Brimstone, is a butterfly of the family Pieridae. It lives throughout the Palearctic zone and is commonly found across Europe, Asia, and North Africa. Across much of its range, it is the only species of its genus, and is therefore simply known locally as the Brimstone. Its wing span size is 60–74 mm (2.4–2.9 in). It should not be confused with the Brimstone moth Opisthograptis luteolata.
The brimstone relies on two species of buckthorn plants as host plants for its larvae; this influences its geographic range and distribution, as these plants are commonly found in wetlands. The adult brimstone travels to woodland areas to spend seven months overwintering. In spring when their host plants have developed, they return to the wetlands to breed and lay eggs. Both the larval and adult forms of the common brimstone have protective coloration and behaviour that decreases their chances of being recognised and subsequently preyed upon.
The adult common brimstone has sexual dimorphism in its wing coloration: males have yellow wings and iridescence while females have greenish-white wings and are not iridescent. This iridescence is affected by environmental factors.
The name "butterfly" is believed to have originated from this species, which was called the "butter-coloured fly" by early British naturalists.
From the Wikipedia article “Gonepteryx rhamni” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gonepteryx_rhamni&oldid=1380218554), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.
What does the common brimstone sound like?
Is the common brimstone endangered?
No conservation assessment is recorded for this species in our sources. That is not the same as being safe: it has not been matched to an assessment.
How is the common brimstone classified?
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumArthropoda
- classInsecta
- orderLepidoptera
- familyPieridae
- genusGonepteryx
- SpeciesGonepteryx rhamni (Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms Colias rhamni, Gonepteryx gravesi, Gonepteryx rhamni gilgitica, Gonepteryx rhamni matsakii, Gonepteryx rhamni miljanowskii, Gonepteryx rhamni tianshanica, Gonepteryx rhamni transiens, Papilio ecclipsis, Papilio rhamni, Rhodocera rhamni
Other names and names in other languages (56)
- BrimstoneEnglish
- Brimstone butterflyEnglish
- Лімонніца звычайнаяBelarusian
- ЛимонницаBulgarian
- Sitronig an evorBreton
- LlimoneraCatalan
- Gonepteryx rhamniCebuano
- žluťásek řešetlákovýCzech
- Melyn y RhafnwyddWelsh
- Melynion y RhafnwyddWelsh
- CitronfuglDanish
- Almindelig citronsommerfuglDanish
- CitronsommerfuglDanish
- ZitronenfalterGerman
- Citrono-papilioEsperanto
- Mariposa de la colSpanish
- LimoneraSpanish
- LapsuliblikasEstonian
- گوگردی (پروانه)Persian
- SitruunaperhonenFinnish
- CitronFrench
- Le CitronFrench
- GieltsjeWestern Frisian
- Buíóg ruibheachIrish
- לימוני אירופיHebrew
- לימונית אירופיתHebrew
- ŽućakCroatian
- Obični žućakCroatian
- CitromlepkeHungarian
- Pieride del ramnoItalian
- CedronellaItalian
- ヤマキチョウJapanese
- 멧노랑나비Korean
- 유럽멧노랑나비Korean
- ZitrounebladLuxembourgish
- ZitrouneblatLuxembourgish
- ZitrounefalterLuxembourgish
- CitrinukasLithuanian
- CitrontauriņšLatvian
- Krūkļu baltenisLatvian
- sitronsommerfuglNorwegian Bokmål
- CitroenvlinderDutch
- sitronsommarfuglNorwegian Nynorsk
- listkowiec cytrynekPolish
- Latolistek cytrynekPolish
- Borboleta‑limãoPortuguese
- LămâițăRomanian
- КрушинницаRussian
- sitrovdnabeaiveloddiNorthern Sami
- žltáčik rešetliakovýSlovak
- citrončekSlovenian
- CitronfjärilSwedish
- OrakkanatTurkish
- Limon KelebeğiTurkish
- ЦитринецьUkrainian
- 钩粉蝶Chinese
Relatives of the common brimstone
Other species in the same genus Gonepteryx.
Cleopatra butterfly
Gonepteryx cleopatra
Orange brimstone
Gonepteryx amintha
Lesser brimstone
Gonepteryx aspasia
Powdered brimstone
Gonepteryx farinosa
Lesser brimstone
Gonepteryx mahaguru
Madeira brimstone
Gonepteryx maderensis
CompareCommon brimstone vs Cleopatra butterflyCommon brimstone vs Orange brimstoneCommon brimstone vs Lesser brimstoneCommon brimstone vs Powdered brimstone
Common questions
Each answer is written from the sourced facts on this page, and only where they hold the answer.
What kind of animal is the common brimstone?
The common brimstone is an insect in the butterflies and moths group, belonging to the order Lepidoptera.
What is the scientific name of the common brimstone?
Its scientific name is Gonepteryx rhamni, in the genus Gonepteryx.
Who named the common brimstone and when?
The scientific name authority is (Linnaeus, 1758).
What family does the common brimstone belong to?
It belongs to the family Pieridae, within the superfamily Papilionoidea.
What other names does the common brimstone have?
It is also called the brimstone and the brimstone butterfly.
Is the common brimstone extinct?
No. The Catalogue of Life lists it as living, not extinct.
Sources and how to cite this page
Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.
- Catalogue of Life eXtended Release · CC BY 4.0 · 2026-10-16 XR
Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf - Wikimedia Commons · per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed) · 2026-11-11
Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence). - Wikidata · CC0 1.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service). - Wikipedia (English) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).
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Copy this code. The card shows the photo with its credit, key facts and a link back to this page.
CreatureData. (2026). Common brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/common-brimstone
“Common brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/common-brimstone.
@misc{common_brimstone_2026,
title = {Common brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni)},
author = {{CreatureData}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/common-brimstone},
note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}