Cleopatra (Gonepteryx cleopatra)
2011 photos highlighted in green. Click on any photo to go to an enlarged picture, or simply scroll down the page.
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| 2284_male_Var_4Jul06 | 17183_male_Alpes-Maritimes_04Jul09 | 21354_male_Alpes-Maritimes_3Jul10 |
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| 4769_female_Var_17Apr07 | 9166_female_Dordogne_14Aug07 | 11553_female_Var_25Jun08 |
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Very similar to the Brimstone (G. rhamni) (please see the rhamni page for comparative notes) and the two could be confused from looking at photos of the butterflies at rest i.e. the undersides, unless you see it in flight where the upf orange patches of cleopatra (male only) are quite clearly visible and quite breathtaking. |
I have seen cleopatra in many locations in southern France (its range does not extend to the north) and in one favourite location in 2003 there were 10-12 on one small patch of flowers and, in fact, in southern France I would say it is decidedly more common than rhamni. Like rhamni, it never rests with wings open. |
| ref | sex |
observations |
alt. m |
| 2284 | M |
a male, the orange upf flush showing through quite clearly. This is not easy to capture on film and the angle has to be just right. |
230 |
| 17183 | M |
a male, just catching it nectaring with wings not quite fully closed, revealing a rare glimpse of the forewing orange patch. |
1000 |
| 21354 | M |
a male, the forewing apex has more than a suggestion of rhamni in terms of its pointedness, but I think the cleopatra orange flush can just be detected. As such, it is the most pointed cleopatra forewing I have seen, and I am by no means 100% certain that it is not rhamni. |
1320 |
| 4769 | F |
the illustrations in T&L show the female underside as very pale, almost white, but my experience is that they are pale greenish-yellow. The wing tip is quite pointed, but I still feel it is cleopatra rather than rhamni. |
30 |
| 9166 | F |
a female, also strongly yellow-green, and with a very prominent red unh cell spot. |
70 |
| 11553 | F |
a female, quite a strong yellow streak through the forewing cell. |
60 |
17183_male_Alpes-Maritimes_04Jul09
21354_male_Alpes-Maritimes_3Jul10
