Butterfly lemongrass brief description in Ukrainian. Lemongrass butterfly. Lifestyle and habitat of the lemongrass butterfly. What do butterflies do in winter?

Origin of the species and description

Lemongrass belongs to the family (Pieridae). It also contains pests such as reptiles, but lemongrass itself is not considered a pest, since their caterpillars feed mainly on buckthorn. That’s why they have another name – wreckers. Whitefish belong to the order Lepidoptera. As evidenced by the findings of paleoantologists, the first representatives of the order inhabited the planet at the beginning Jurassic period– the age of the oldest remains found is approximately 190 million years.

Video: Butterfly lemongrass

TO Cretaceous period, when the planet was increasingly spreading flowering plants, Lepidoptera have also reached their peak. They acquired a well-developed mouthparts, and their wings also developed more strongly. At the same time, the formation of a long proboscis occurred, intended for sucking nectar. The number of lepidopteran species became more and more numerous, larger ones appeared, the length of their life in the form of adults increased - they reached a real heyday. Although in our time the diversity of this order is also amazing, it contains many dissimilar species.

Interesting fact: Butterflies change four forms during their life: first an egg, then a larva, a pupa and, finally, an adult butterfly with wings. All these forms are strikingly different from each other, and imago is the name of the latter.

Lepidoptera rapidly evolved along with flowering plants. By the Paleogene, most of the modern families, including whitefish, were finally formed. The appearance of modern lemongrass dates back to the same time. Gradually, new species of them continued to appear, and this process is still not completed.

The genus Schisandra includes from 10 to 14 species; researchers have not yet reached a consensus on the exact classification of some. The difference between species is mainly expressed in size and color intensity. Further, in all cases, unless otherwise indicated, we will be talking about lemongrass, described by Carl Linnaeus in the fundamental work “System of Nature,” which appeared in 1758.

There are several more well-known and common types:

• Cleopatra, living in the Mediterranean;
• Aminta, the largest - its wingspan reaches 80 mm, is found in Southeast Asia;
• aspasia - Far Eastern butterflies, on the contrary, small (30 mm) and very brightly colored.

Appearance and features

In its form, the imago has elongated front wings and rounded hind wings - both have a pointed end. The hind wings are slightly longer and can reach 35 mm. The color allows lemongrass to camouflage well: if they fold their wings while sitting on a tree or bush, it is difficult for predators to notice them from afar.

Females and males differ primarily in the color of their wings: in males they are bright yellow, which is where the name of these butterflies comes from, and in females they are white with a green tint. In the middle of the wings there is a small orange spot.

They have faceted eyes and a round head, as well as a very long proboscis, with the help of which they can extract nectar even from very complex flowers. There are three pairs of walking legs; with their help, lemongrass moves along the surface of the plant. There are four pairs of wings.

Sizes vary greatly depending on the species, with a wingspan typically around 55mm. Representatives of the most large species it can reach 80 mm, and in small lemongrass it is only 30 mm. The caterpillars do not stand out externally: they are green to match the foliage, they are covered with small black dots.

Interesting fact: If it is not very hot, then as soon as the sun disappears behind the clouds, the lemongrass tends to land on the nearest flower or tree - it is very difficult for it to fly without direct sunlight, since the temperature must be maintained at a high level for flight.

Where does the lemongrass butterfly live?

The habitat is very wide, it includes:

• most of Europe;
• Near East;
• Northern;
• Southeast Asia;
• Canary Islands;
• Madeira Island.

These butterflies are not found in Ciscaucasia, beyond the Arctic Circle, and they are also not found on the island of Crete. They are very widespread, you can meet them from and to Vladivostok. Able to live in harsh conditions natural conditions, almost to the Arctic Circle.

First of all, their habitat is determined by the distribution of buckthorn as the main source of food for the caterpillars, although they are also capable of eating other plants. While the common lemongrass is widespread, other species can live in a very limited area; there are several endemics living in the Canary Islands and Madeira.

It is curious that these butterflies do not live in, preferring thickets of bushes, various gardens, parks, edges and woodlands - the main areas where they can be found, since lemongrass also does not settle in dense areas. They also live in, but not too high - they are no longer above 2,500 meters above sea level. If necessary, they can fly long distances to find the most convenient area for habitation.

Now you know where the yellow, bright butterfly lives. Let's see now what does the lemongrass butterfly eat??

What does the lemongrass butterfly eat?

In the form of an imago - nectar.

Among the plants whose nectar attracts lemongrass:

• primroses;
• cornflowers;
• sivets;
• thistle;
• dandelion;
• thistle;
• coltsfoot;
• liverwort.

Wildflowers predominate among preferences, although garden lemongrass also drinks the nectar. Thanks to their long proboscis, they can even feed on nectar that is inaccessible to almost all other butterflies - for example, the same primrose. For many spring plants, it is vital that they are pollinated by lemongrass, because there are almost no other butterflies at this time. The larva feeds on buckthorns, like laxative buckthorn, zoster and others.

They eat the leaf from the middle to the edge in a few days, growing quickly, and by the time they get to the outside of the leaf, molting is already over. Do not apply great harm buckthorn, and for cultivated plants they are almost harmless, with a few exceptions: caterpillars can feed on the foliage of plants such as cabbage, rutabaga, turnips, horseradish, radish or turnips. But cases when they harm plantings are very rare, since lemongrass eggs are usually laid in thickets and on forest edges.

Interesting fact: The lemongrass chooses which flower to sit on not by the smell they emit, but by color. These butterflies are most attracted to blue and red flowers.

Features of character and lifestyle

They are active during the day and fly only when it is sunny. They love warm weather very much, and in the spring, if it’s cool, they often freeze for a long time, folding their wings at a right angle and trying to catch as many sun rays as possible - first one side is exposed to them, and then the other. As soon as evening comes and it becomes less light, they begin to look for a convenient place to spend the night - usually thickets of bushes are used for this. They land on a branch deep in the thickets and, folding their wings, become almost indistinguishable from the surrounding greenery.

Unlike most other butterflies, which do not spend much time in flight due to the large expenditure of energy on it, lemongrass is very hardy and can fly for most of the day, covering long distances. At the same time, they are able to climb high altitudes. Since they live a long time by the standards of butterflies, they need to conserve their vitality - therefore, if conditions become less favorable, for example, rainy weather sets in and it gets colder, then even in the middle of summer they can begin diapause. When it gets warm again, lemongrass wakes up.

Interesting fact: Diapause is a period when the butterfly's metabolism becomes much slower, it stops moving and becomes much more resistant to external influences.

Lemongrass appears among the first - in warm regions starting from March. But these are butterflies living for the second year; they lay eggs in the spring, after which they die. Young individuals appear in early summer, and in mid-autumn they go to spend the winter to “thaw out” in the spring. That is, the life expectancy of lemongrass in the form of an adult is about nine months - for daytime butterflies this is quite a long time, and in Europe they even hold the record for longevity.

For the winter they hide deeper in the thickets. They are not afraid of frosts: the increased retention of glycerol and polypeptides allows them to remain alive in hibernation even at an air temperature of –40 °C, especially since the shelter, especially if it is under snow, is usually much warmer. On the contrary, thaws are dangerous for them: if they wake up, they spend a lot of energy flying, and since there are no flowers yet, they cannot renew their supply. When there is a sharp cold snap, they simply do not have time to find a new shelter and hibernate again - and die.

Social structure and reproduction

They live alone, and only in mating season fly in pairs. It falls in the spring, and the initiative belongs to the males, who perform a simple marriage ritual: when they meet a suitable female, they fly after her for a short distance. Then the male and female descend onto the bush and mate.

After this, the female looks for a place near the buckthorn shoots so that the larvae have enough food, and lays eggs, one or two on each leaf, up to a hundred in total. They are held in place by a sticky secretion. It takes a week or two for the eggs to mature, and by the beginning of summer the larva appears. After its appearance, it begins to absorb the leaf - in the form of a caterpillar, lemongrass is very voracious and eats almost all the time, growing from 1.5 to 35 mm. The time it takes to grow depends on the weather - the warmer and drier it is, the faster the caterpillar will reach the right size and will go through all the molting. This usually takes 3-5 weeks.

Then she pupates. The time spent in the form of a pupa depends on the climate and is 10-20 days - the warmer it is, the faster the butterfly will appear. Having got out of the cocoon, it spends a little time just hovering to spread its wings and let them get stronger, and then it can fly freely - the individual immediately appears as an adult and fully adapted to life. In total, all stages of development take from 40 to 60 days, and an adult butterfly lives another 270 days, although it spends a significant part of this time in hibernation.

Natural enemies of lemongrass butterflies

There are many of them: danger threatens lemongrass at any stage of development, because there are people who like to feast on them in any form. It’s easiest for adult butterflies, since predators still need to catch them; there are no such problems with other forms.

Among the enemies of lemongrass:

• birds;
• ants;
• many other insects.

There are more than enough predators that feed on butterflies, but their most terrible enemies are birds. They most often eat caterpillars, because they are nutritious prey that do not need to be hunted. In total, birds destroy on average about a quarter of the caterpillars. Some birds also attack adults - most often lying in wait for them when they are resting or drinking nectar.

The easiest way for them is to hit the prey with its beak when it sits down and kill it, then separate the wings from it and eat the body. Although some are dexterous enough to grab butterflies on the fly, for example, swallows do just that. But for imagoes, birds and predators in general are not so dangerous - they can fly away, and their protective color helps, making them difficult to notice when they are resting. It is much more difficult for caterpillars: they are hunted by a much larger number of predators, including small ones that are too tough for adult butterflies - and they are not able to fly away or escape. In addition, although the caterpillars also have a protective color, their eaten leaves give them away.

Population and species status

Although caterpillars are quite picky about food, the plants they prefer are widespread, so lemongrass is not in danger. Of course, human activity could not but affect them - the area occupied by buckthorn shrubs has noticeably decreased in the last century, and pesticides are also actively used - but the reduction in the number of butterflies is not yet critical.

There are still a lot of lemongrass, but this applies to the entire planet, and in some areas there is still a strong drop in the population of these butterflies. Thus, in the Netherlands, the question of recognizing them as an endangered species at the local level and corresponding protection was raised. But the genus as a whole has not been given protected status - its wide range allows us not to worry about its survival. There are many lemongrass in Russia; they can be found throughout most of the country. Although some species have a much narrower range and smaller population, and sooner or later they may be in danger of extinction.

This applies primarily to two species - endemic Canary Islands, Gonepteryx cleobule and palmae. The latter inhabit exclusively the island of Palma. Another species, Gonepteryx maderensis, endemic to the island of Madeira, is under protection because the population of these butterflies has declined significantly in recent decades. In addition, species of lemongrass that have not yet been described due to their rarity may live in corners of our planet remote from civilization.

Lemongrass are harmless, one of the first to fly in the spring and play a large role in the pollination of spring flowers. They are not as widespread as urticaria, but they are also common and live in most of the territory of Russia. Bright yellow lemongrass butterfly– one of the decorations of the warm season.

On our website you can also find information on morphology, physiology and ecology of diurnal butterflies: etymology of the name, total number of butterflies, size of butterflies, morphology of butterflies: body structure, structure of butterfly wings, internal organs, pigments and coloring of butterfly wings, color polymorphism, physiology of butterflies: flight, nutrition, reproduction, life cycle of butterflies, pupa and imago, distribution of butterflies, ecology of butterflies, territorial behavior and migrations of butterflies, relationships with other organisms, protection from predators, the role of butterflies in nature, taxonomy and classification of butterflies, protection of Lepidoptera, Lepidoptera and humans, economic importance of butterflies, Lepidoptera in human culture.

Lemongrass
Gonepteryx rhamni (Linnaeus, 1758)
Brimstone

Origin of name. Rhamnus (from Latin) – zoster, one of the food plants of the caterpillar

Synonyms. White buckthorn, common lemongrass, buckthorn, = Papilio rhamni Linnaeus, 1758.

Appearance. Lemongrass, which resembles a leaf when resting, is one of the longest-living butterflies in the world and the longest-living diurnal butterfly in Europe. Males are bright yellow, with an orange-red spot on each wing. Female lemongrass are paler, but have the same spots. The apex of the fore wings is serrated. In the center of the outer edge of the hind wings there is a serrated protrusion.

Dimensions. The wingspan is up to 6 cm. The length of the front wing is 26-31 mm.

Species range. Northwestern Africa, Europe, the Caucasus with Transcaucasia, Asia Minor, Kazakhstan, Central Asia, Western and Southern Siberia east to the Baikal region, Mongolia.

Distribution across Russian regions. Volga-Don, East Caucasus, Gorno-Altai, European North-Eastern, European North-West, European Central Black Earth, European Central, European South Taiga, West Caucasus, Kaliningrad, Karelian, Kola, Krasnoyarsk, Lower Volga, Pre-Altai , North Yenisei, North Ural, Middle Volga, Middle Ural, Middle Ob, South-West Siberian, South Ural.

Distribution in Eastern Europe. It is found throughout Eastern Europe, reaching north to the Arctic Circle. To the north, the species was found in the Khibiny Mountains (Murmansk region). Absent in the desert zone, and also in places in the steppe Ciscaucasia. One of the most common species of the family.

Habitat. Forest edges, clearings, roadsides, meadows in various types of forest. Valley river forests, forest groves and ravines, bushy ravines in the steppes and forest-steppes. Butterflies feed on the flowers of burdock (Arctium tomentosum), curly thistle (Carduus crispus), common thistle (Cirsium vulgare), scabiose cornflower (Centaurea scabiosa), long-leaved speedwell (Veronica longifolia), and inverted myringue (Pedicularis resupinata). In addition, lemongrass was found feeding on lungwort (Pulmonaria dacica), corydalis (Corydalis bracteata), as well as on willow flowers (Salix) and sticky buds of birches (Betula).

Life cycle. The lifespan of lemongrass is unusually long and amounts to almost a year. To withstand all this time, she alternates periods of active flight with periods of rest. After flying away for several days, the butterfly falls into a torpor that lasts for several weeks, then for a few days it becomes active again - and so on throughout its entire life cycle. adult. During wintering, the butterfly is able to tolerate low temperatures(including negative ones) without any additional protection thanks to a special fluid in her body.
In early spring, you can observe the courtship flights of lemongrass, when the male flies after the female, moving at a constant distance from her. Mating takes place when the first buds appear on the buckthorn. Limongrass begins to fly in July (in the European part of Russia - at the beginning of summer), flies until autumn and next spring. Individual overwintered individuals can be found in some places as early as May, and in mountainous areas even later. In North Africa, partly the second generation in August-September
An adult butterfly overwinters and hides in dry leaves near the soil. Everywhere it develops in one generation. Both sexes overwinter, and their flight continues in the spring with the onset of the first thaw until the beginning of June.

Reproduction. The female lays eggs 1-2, less often 4-5 per buckthorn buds and young stems. The eggs are yellowish or greenish, conical, with 12 ribs, laid on buckthorn and zoster, one, rarely two, or even 4-6 on the upper side of the leaves, on the buds, on the stem of the food plant and covered with an adhesive mass.

Caterpillars Buckthorns hatch in May-June. They are matte yellow-green, lighter on the sides, and have a light matte-whitish stripe above the legs. The upper integument of the body is covered with small black dots, each of which has a short black spine. As a rule, at the tip of this spine there is a large drop of orange liquid. The larva's head is green. Newly born caterpillars begin to eat the leaf from the middle, then reach the edges. Older caterpillars gnaw leaves, starting from the top on the sides of the midrib. The lemongrass caterpillar lives exclusively on the top of the leaves, it is very slow, not timid, only sometimes in times of danger (especially if you touch its front segments) it quickly raises the front half of its body up and back, releasing a drop of liquid from its mouth. The duration of the caterpillar stage depends on weather conditions (development accelerates in warm and dry weather) and is 3-7 weeks.

Doll yellow-green, with a very thick chest, angular. On the sides of the pupa there are light yellow stripes (one on each side), the abdominal segments have dark dots. The pupa is attached with a cremaster and a belt to the bark of a branch of a food plant, sticking out with its sharp head end up.

Food plants for caterpillars. Frangula alnus – brittle buckthorn, Frangula sp. – buckthorn, Rhamnus cathartica – laxative zoster.

Summer time. March (3 decades), April, May, July, August, September, October (1 decade).

Features of taxonomy. The variability of lemongrass is small, but 11 subspecies of G. rhamni have been described, and in Europe, in addition to the nominative form, only one subspecies lives.

On the pages of our website you can also read entomology textbook: Introduction, Subject and tasks of entomology, Brief outline of the history of entomology, Basic principles of insect taxonomy, Structure of insects, Nervous activity of insects, Reproduction of insects, Development of insects, Life cycles, Diapause, Protective devices and social lifestyle, Nutrition and feeding specialization of insects, Distribution insects, fluctuations in insect numbers, and educational book Doctor of Biological Sciences V.A.Krivokhatsky "Antlion"

The lemongrass butterfly is described for schoolchildren in this article.

Butterfly lemongrass description for children

The lemongrass butterfly is beautiful and unusual. The lemongrass butterfly differs from others in the color and shape of its wings, which appear to be cut off. It can be seen in the spring with the warm rays of the sun. Therefore, it is also called the first spring butterfly. Although there are cases that due to warm weather these butterflies wake up already in January.

The second time lemongrass comes to life at the end of July and flutters right up until autumn. With the onset of cold weather, she finds warm, secluded places for wintering. Despite the fact that she flies twice a year, she produces only one generation. Therefore, they lay eggs only once a year. Caterpillars feed on a wider range of plants than others and do not refuse to feast on nectar to replenish energy reserves for the future process of pupal formation.

Lemongrass lives throughout Europe and Asia. It can even be found in the very north of Africa. Among a large number of butterflies, lemongrass is considered a real long-liver - it can live as long as 13 months, but spends most of them in a dormant state (they like to sleep on ivy).

The forewings of males are greenish-yellow, while females are white with a green tint. Males and females also have a small orange spot in the center of each wing. It is the wings that distinguish the sex of a butterfly. It is interesting that lemongrass, unlike other butterflies, lands exclusively with closed wings.

At the end of March, as soon as stable sunny weather sets in, you can see a beautiful spot of sun fluttering between the first spring flowers. This is a butterfly or lemongrass.

Appearance

This spring beauty is a representative of daytime butterflies from the white butterfly family. It got its name because of the buckthorn plant (Rhamnus), which the caterpillars of butterflies of this species actively feed on.

The wingspan of lemongrass reaches 60 mm, and the wing length is 26-33 mm. Males have bright lemon-yellow wings, females are more delicate - almost white with a greenish-lemon tint.

Representatives of both sexes have a small dark gray body covered with long whitish hairs.

Habitat

The tortoiseshell is a very common butterfly. It is found almost throughout Europe, right up to the regions of Siberia, in the northern part of Africa, in the Caucasus and Transcaucasia, in Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Malaya and Central Asia and throughout Eastern Europe.

Avoids arid steppe regions, deserts and northern regions of England and Scandinavia. Most often found in water meadows, mixed and coniferous forests, in clearings and forest edges.

Life cycle

Lemongrass is a long-lived butterfly. She emerges from the pupa in mid-June and flies until the first frost in October.

Then on winter period the butterfly falls asleep, and in the spring it begins to fly again. Noteworthy is the fact that lemongrass tolerates frost well and waits out the winter without much shelter, not far from the surface of the earth.

A mild winter or lack of frost has a bad effect on the butterfly’s body; it needs to spend a large number of energy, being between sleep and wakefulness.

Such frost resistance is possible due to the fact that the body of the buckthorn contains liquid, which is a mixture of water, proteins and salts.

To maintain the body during a long period of active flight, the buckthorn periodically falls into diapauses, which last for several weeks. During this time, the body rests and, upon waking up, the butterfly again actively feeds and flutters.

Reproduction

In spring the breeding season begins. A characteristic feature At the beginning of this period, joint flights begin.

The female flies in front, the male follows her, all the time maintaining a constant distance. Having found a buckthorn plant, the female lays eggs on young shoots and buds.

Lemongrass butterflies are diurnal insects with bright, easily recognizable colors. They are common in many regions of the Northern Hemisphere and appear as soon as spring begins. What do lemongrass butterflies look like and where do they live? Photos, descriptions and details of the lifestyle of these insects can be found in our article.

Genus lemongrass

The lemongrass butterflies we are considering belong to the white butterfly family, known for their predominantly light color. Closely related to them are burdocks, hawthorns, rutabagas, cabbages, which feed on cultivated plants and cause significant damage to gardening and agriculture. In contrast, lemongrass is not a pest, and its caterpillars feed mainly on buckthorn.

These butterflies live in the temperate and subtropical zones of the Northern Hemisphere and are found in Asia, Europe, and North Africa. Exact amount The species that are included in the genus Lemongrass are unknown. Presumably their number ranges from 7 to 15. The most famous representatives are: cleopatra, mealy buckthorn, aminta lemongrass, mahaguru lemongrass. They are all very similar to each other and differ mainly in the nuances of shades, habitat and some habits.

Description of lemon butterflies

Butterflies of this genus have characteristic shape wings, which is characteristic of all its representatives. The posterior pair is rounded and ends with a sharp tooth, the anterior pair is somewhat elongated and also pointed at the end. There are four orange or brown spots on the wings, as well as clearly visible veins that match the overall color. All this allows insects to camouflage themselves. Sitting calmly on a tree with folded wings, they are practically indistinguishable from leaves and are invisible to predators.

The way lemongrass butterflies look fully corresponds to their name. All males of the genus have a light yellow color, similar to the color of an unripe lemon. However, they are characterized by sexual dimorphism, so females may differ slightly in color. As a rule, they are much paler than males and are colored white or green. The back and head of both sexes are dark gray interspersed with long light hairs. The belly and legs of insects are colored light yellow.

In the photo, lemongrass butterflies may seem quite large, but in reality they are small. With their wings spread, they reach only 5-6 centimeters in size. The front wings of insects are usually slightly shorter than the hind wings; they grow to 25-30 millimeters, while the hind wings grow to 33-35 millimeters.

Reproduction

IN temperate latitudes Limonaria butterflies appear already in March, and immediately begin to look for a mate. The more noticeable color of males suggests that the decisive role in choosing a partner belongs to females. To show interest, the male pursues the chosen one, flying after her, but without getting too close. When his candidacy is approved, both partners descend onto a bush, flower or tree, where mating occurs.

The butterfly lays its eggs on a plant, which will become food for the young. Lemongrass caterpillars feed mainly on joster, or buckthorn, which is why they are also called buckthorns. They lay 70-100 eggs on the stems, leaves and buds of the plant, attaching them with a special secretion. After one to two weeks, tiny larvae about 1.5 mm in size appear. They must go through several stages of molting until they are strong and mature enough to form a pupa and become a full-fledged butterfly.

Lemongrass caterpillars develop best and fastest in warm and dry weather. Mature individuals reach 3-4 centimeters in size. They are covered with sparse short hairs and are colored light green with a white longitudinal line. The body of the caterpillars is covered with small black dots, each of which has a thin spike.

A month after the fifth molt, the caterpillars begin to pupate, attaching themselves to a stem or leaf cutting, and within two weeks a butterfly is born. In total, about 50 days pass from the moment of laying to the adult stage.

Lifestyle Features

Yellow lemongrass butterflies are diurnal insects whose activity occurs primarily in sunny, dry weather. Unlike caterpillars, which eat only one type of food, adults have a more varied diet. Their oral apparatus is designed for consuming liquid food and the basis of the menu is the flower nectar of various herbs, shrubs and trees.

The lifespan of most butterflies ranges from a few days to two to three months. In comparison, lemongrass are considered real long-livers, because many of them die at the age of nine to twelve months. They are active in the warm season, and during cold periods they hide in a reliable shelter and fall into a state of suspended animation. If the winter is warm, then the butterflies may wake up ahead of time and die without finding food. If everything goes according to a natural schedule, then the insects wake up in early spring, replenishing your strength with birch sap and primrose nectar.

Lemongrass buckthorn

This species is also called buckthorn, or common lemongrass. The butterfly is the most typical and widespread representative of its genus. Males are colored an even light yellow, females are pale green. There is one orange dot on the front and rear wings.

Common lemongrass can be seen in sunny forest clearings and meadows. They do not like dense thickets of trees and do not rise above 2 kilometers in the mountains. They are rare guests in deserts and steppes. They live in Eastern Europe, North Africa, Central Asia. Found in the Caucasus, Mongolia, Turkey, western and southern regions Siberia.

Lemongrass Aminta

Aminta is the largest in the genus of lemon butterflies. It is found only in Asia. It lives within the subtropics of China, Taiwan and Northern Laos. The wingspan of the butterfly reaches approximately 7-8 centimeters. Their females are pale green and almost indistinguishable from other lemongrass. In males, one pair of wings is bright yellow, and the other is white above and pale yellow below. Outer edge the front wings are framed by a dark brown stripe.

Lemongrass cleopatra

Like other lemongrass butterflies, Cleopatra lives in woodlands, clearings and meadows. Its range covers the entire southern part of Eurasia from Portugal to the countries of the Middle East, as well as the subtropics North Africa. It is also found on the island of Crete, Corsica, Sardinia and the Maltese archipelago.

Carl Leinaeus, who described this species, named it in honor of the Egyptian queen Cleopatra. Main feature butterflies are bright orange spots that occupy most of the forewings of males. Their upper edge along the contour is bordered by dark dots. Females are characterized by a pale color and the absence of orange spots.