Gonepteryx cleopatra (1) Insect Butterfly Pieridae

Gonepteryx cleopatra Male one wing lenght cm 2.4-3 Insect Butterfly Pieridae.
Common name: The Cleopatra or Cleopatra Butterfly.
Syn. Gonepteryx europaea, Papilio cleopatra.

Gonepteryx cleopatra (Linnaeus, 1767) is a lepidopter belonging to the Pieridae family. It is a medium-sized butterfly with a wingspan of approximately 50-60 millimetres, with sickle-shaped tips of the front wings. It is a species with evident sexual dimorphism.
The female has wings with a greenish tinge, a characteristic also present on the lower pages of the male's wings. However, in the male the wings on the dorsal side are bright yellow, with a large orange spot on the front ones. There are also small rounded dots in the center of the wings, red on the back and brown on the back of the wings themselves.
This butterfly has two generations and can therefore be seen flying almost all year round. Adults overwinter on evergreen trees and shrubs. The small green caterpillars feed on the leaves of the buckthorn (Rhamnus alaternus).
Gonepteryx cleopatra is widespread in all countries on the Mediterranean coasts. It can be found in open spaces, in the Mediterranean scrub, in sparse woods and in mountain pine forests, up to around 1800 meters above sea level, but in North Africa it reaches up to 3000 metres. 10 subspecies are known.