Common name : Common Brimstone
Scientific name : Gonepteryx rhamni
Family : Pieridae
Native to : Europe, North Africa, South America, Asia
Interesting fact : The name ‘butterfly’ is said to have been derived from the brimstone butterfly, by the British, because of its sulphur-coloured upperside.
While the females are greenish in colour, the males have buttered coloured wings. They are said to be the longest living butterflies, with a lifespan of almost 13 months. Their diet is comprised of the nectar from the buckthorn. The female lays eggs once a year on the leaves of the buckthorn.