# Common brimstone (*Gonepteryx rhamni*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/common-brimstone  
Data as of: 2026-11-11

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. 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.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | Not recorded |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Wingspan | 4.75 cm – 6.4 cm |
| Lifespan | Not recorded |
| Diet | Nectarivore |
| Main food | flowers |
| Habitat | forest, grassland, human_modified, shrubland |
| Young per litter or clutch | Not recorded |
| Reproduction | Eggs |
| Active | By day (diurnal) |
| On the wing | January to November |
| Generations a year | Two |
| Larval food plants | Rhamnaceae family |
| Conservation status | Not recorded |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Arthropoda
- class: Insecta
- order: Lepidoptera
- family: Pieridae
- genus: Gonepteryx
- species: *Gonepteryx 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*

## Common questions

### 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

- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), 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](https://commons.wikimedia.org), 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).
- [LepTraits 1.0: a globally comprehensive dataset of butterfly traits](https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.19874602.v1), CC0 1.0, 1.0. Shirey, V., Larsen, E., Doherty, A. et al. (2022) LepTraits 1.0: a globally comprehensive dataset of butterfly traits. Scientific Data 9: 382. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-022-01473-5. Data: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.19874602.v1
- [TraitCH: a multi-taxa functional trait dataset for Switzerland and Europe](https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15063844), CC BY 4.0, 2.0. Chauvier, Y., Adde, A., Bergamini, A. et al. (2025) TraitCH: a multi-taxa functional trait dataset for Switzerland and Europe. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15063844
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), 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).

Cite as: Common brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/common-brimstone