Brimstone vs Cleopatra

Gonepteryx rhamni compared with Gonepteryx cleopatra

Key Differences

• Brimstone is Near Threatened while Cleopatra is Least Concern.

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Brimstone	Cleopatra
Kingdom same	Animalia (hayvan)	Animalia (hayvan)
Phylum same	Arthropoda (Eklem bacaklılar)	Arthropoda (Eklem bacaklılar)
Class same	Insecta (böcek)	Insecta (böcek)
Order same	Lepidoptera (Pul kanatlılar)	Lepidoptera (Pul kanatlılar)
Family same	Pieridae	Pieridae
Genus same	Gonepteryx	Gonepteryx
Species	Gonepteryx rhamni	Gonepteryx cleopatra

Evolutionary Relationship

Brimstone and Cleopatra share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Gonepteryx.

Conservation Status

Brimstone

NT — Near Threatened

Cleopatra

LC — Least Concern

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Brimstone	Cleopatra
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Brimstone

Habitat

Typically found in virtually all terrestrial and freshwater habitats.

Range

Found across Europe (40 countries). Listed as Near Threatened, this species requires ongoing monitoring to prevent population decline.

Cleopatra

Habitat

Inhabits Mediterranean forests and woodlands within the Palearctic biogeographic realm.

Range

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

Brimstone

Brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni) is classified as Near Threatened (NT) on the IUCN Red List. Close to qualifying as threatened, with populations that may become vulnerable without conservation action.

Cleopatra

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 15 countries:

🇦🇱 Albania 🇦🇩 Andorra 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina 🇧🇬 Bulgaria 🇭🇷 Croatia 🇫🇷 France 🇬🇷 Greece 🇮🇹 Italy 🇲🇹 Malta 🇲🇪 Montenegro 🇲🇰 North Macedonia 🇵🇹 Portugal 🇸🇮 Slovenia 🇪🇸 Spain 🇨🇭 Switzerland