ÿþ<html> <head> <title>Regional Species - Brimstone</title> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <meta name="keywords" content="Brimstone, Gonepteryx rhamni"> <meta name="description" content="The Brimstone butterfly in North Wales"> <LINK REL="StyleSheet" HREF="../../branch.css" type="text/css"> <SCRIPT language="JavaScript"> <!-- if (parent.location.href == self.location.href) window.location.href = "../../index.html?species/brimstone/index.html"; // --> </SCRIPT> </head> <body class="background"> <a name="top"></a> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" width="100%"> <tr> <td width="1" bgcolor="#cccccc"><img src="../../images/dot.gif" border="0" width="1" height="1"></td> <td valign="top" class="content"> <blockquote> <SPAN class="page-title">Regional Species</SPAN> <br><br><br> <SPAN class="article-subtitle">Brimstone</SPAN><br><SPAN class="scientific-name">Gonepteryx rhamni</SPAN> <br><br> <table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" width="408"> <tr><td><img src="photo_1.jpg" width="400" height="296" alt=" Brimstone " border="2"></td></tr> <tr><td><h5>Photograph by Janet Graham (Maesgwm, Coed y Brenin)</h5></td></tr> </table> </blockquote> </td> <td valign="top" class="content"> <!-- NAVIGATION ELEMENT - BACK TO SPECIES INDEX PAGE --> <table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td><a href="../index.html" onFocus="this.blur();"><img src="../../images/right.gif" width="19" height="19" border="0"></a></td> <td class="links"><a href="../index.html">Regional Species</a></td> </tr> </table> <br clear="all"> <p>&nbsp;</p> <SPAN class="subtitle">About the Brimstone</SPAN> <p class="content"> This species can be encountered anywhere in North Wales but only becomes frequent in some eastern lowland districts such as: Fenn's Moss, Breidden Hill and other wooded areas near Welshpool. The largest western population is in Coed y Brenin, Merionethshire. The reason for the general scarcity is that the larval foodplants, Alder Buckthorn (<i>Frangula alnus</i>)&nbsp; and Buckthorn (<i>Rhamnus cathartica</i>), are themselves scarce in most of North Wales. Experience has shown that planting Alder Buckthorn in gardens and hedgerows can result in the appearance of this species, which is wide-ranging and quite capable of colonising new districts. </p> <p class="content">Brimstones are often noticed on sunny days very early in the spring after the adults have emerged from hibernation. There is only one brood each year with the egg, larval and pupal stages being of short duration compared to the long lifetime of the adult insect.</p> <p class="content">This butterfly could be confused with the Clouded Yellow if seen in the distance. Note also that some of the  whites can be surprisingly yellow on their undersides.</p> <p class="content">&nbsp;</p> <p class="content">Further information available from the <a href="http://www.trawsgoed.com/nwleps.aspx?tp=but&Let=B" target="noframe"> NW Lepidoptera Database</a>, including access to detailed records, maps, flight-time charts and photographs.</p> </td> </tr> <tr><td colspan="3" class="sidebar">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="../../images/top.gif" width="10" height="10" hspace="4" border="0"><a href="#top"><SPAN class="thispage">Top of page</SPAN></a> | <a href="../index.html"><SPAN class="thispage">Regional Species</SPAN></a></td></tr> <tr><td colspan="3" align="right"> <table border="0" cellpadding="10" cellspacing="0"><tr><td align="right"><h5><SCRIPT language=JavaScript src="../../_scripts/copyright.js"></SCRIPT></h5></td></tr></table> </td></tr> </table> </body> </html>