Kleopatrafalter vs Orientalischer Zitronenfalter

Gonepteryx cleopatra compared with Gonepteryx farinosa

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Kleopatrafalter	Orientalischer Zitronenfalter
Kingdom same	Animalia (Tier)	Animalia (Tier)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Gliederfüßer)	Arthropoda (Gliederfüßer)
Class same	Insecta (Insekten)	Insecta (Insekten)
Order same	Lepidoptera (Schmetterlinge)	Lepidoptera (Schmetterlinge)
Family same	Pieridae	Pieridae
Genus same	Gonepteryx	Gonepteryx
Species	Gonepteryx cleopatra	Gonepteryx farinosa

Evolutionary Relationship

Kleopatrafalter and Orientalischer Zitronenfalter share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Gonepteryx.

Conservation Status

Kleopatrafalter

LC — Least Concern

Orientalischer Zitronenfalter

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Kleopatrafalter	Orientalischer Zitronenfalter
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Kleopatrafalter

Habitat

Inhabits Mediterranean forests and woodlands within the Palearctic biogeographic realm.

Range

Found across Asia (Cyprus) and Europe (15 countries).

Orientalischer Zitronenfalter

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Distributed across Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Montenegro, and North Macedonia.

Kleopatrafalter

The Cleopatra, Gonepteryx cleopatra, is a large, striking butterfly in the family Pieridae found across the Mediterranean basin, including southern Europe from Portugal and Spain east to Greece and Turkey, and extending into North Africa and the Middle East. The species is closely related to the common Brimstone butterfly but is larger and more vividly colored. Males display brilliant yellow-orange upperwings with a distinctive deep orange patch on the forewing, while females are pale greenish-white, resembling the Brimstone. The undersides of both sexes are pale green, providing excellent camouflage when resting on vegetation. The Cleopatra inhabits warm, rocky hillsides, maquis, garrigue, woodland edges, and citrus groves where its larval host plants, buckthorns (Rhamnus species), are present. Adults are strong fliers, frequently visiting flowers for nectar. Like the Brimstone, the Cleopatra overwinters as an adult, sheltering in dense evergreen vegetation during the coldest months and re-emerging on warm winter days. The species produces one generation per year. It is widespread and locally common across its Mediterranean range and is assessed as Least Concern by IUCN, though habitat loss from agricultural intensification and urbanization affects local populations.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 5 countries:

🇦🇱 Albania 🇧🇬 Bulgaria 🇬🇷 Greece 🇲🇪 Montenegro 🇲🇰 North Macedonia