Gatekeeper
Pyronia tithonus
This record describes Pyronia tithonus (species). Recorded family: Nymphalidae. Recorded order: Lepidoptera.
Identification and Appearance
The Gatekeeper has gold wings on a brown background. The black eye spot on the upper wings has two characteristic white 'pupils'. This butterfly spends much of its time basking with wings open, when the sexes are easy to tell apart - only the male has the distinctive sex brands on the forewings (dark smudgy patches on the orange upperwings). Unlike the Meadow Brown, the Gatekeeper has orange patches on both fore and rear wings. It also has the double white pupils in the eye spot which distinguishes it from both Meadow Brown and Small Heath (which only have one). This species can be found wherever shrubs grow close to rough grassland. In fact, some of the largest colonies can be found at field edges and along hedgerows and we can expect to find this butterfly in scrubby grassland, woodland rides, country lanes, hedgerows and the like anywhere within its range. There is one generation each year, with adults emerging in July, peaking in early August, with only a few adults remaining until the end of the month. The larvae feed on a range of different meadow grasses. This butterfly is found throughout most of England and Wales, being common in the south of its range and becoming scarcer further north.
Classification
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera
- Family
- Nymphalidae
- Genus
- Pyronia
Imported taxonomy record. Source availability varies; see the source references and editorial policy below.
Habitat and Range
Habitat
This species can be found wherever shrubs grow close to rough grassland. In fact, some of the largest colonies can be found at field edges and along hedgerows and we can expect to find this butterfly in scrubby grassland, woodland rides, country lanes, hedgerows and the like anywhere within its range.
Seasonal Activity
July and August.
Diet and Behavior
Life History
There is one generation each year, with adults emerging in July, peaking in early August, with only a few adults remaining until the end of the month. The larvae feed on a range of different meadow grasses.
Additional species information
Recorded status
This butterfly is found throughout most of England and Wales, being common in the south of its range and becoming scarcer further north.
About Butterflies and Moths: the wider group
Order-level background for Lepidoptera, the group containing Pyronia tithonus. Species-specific details appear above.
Group overview
Lepidoptera includes approximately 180,000 described species of butterflies and moths. Moths outnumber butterflies roughly 10:1. The monarch butterfly's eastern population has declined by more than 80% since the mid-1990s, and the western population by over 95% since the 1980s. The IUCN lists the migratory monarch as Vulnerable.
Ecological role of the group
Butterflies and moths are essential indicators of ecosystem health. As caterpillars, they are a primary food source for birds - a single nest of blue tit chicks requires ~10,000 caterpillars. Adult moths pollinate many night-blooming plants.
Economic and practical significance of the group
Lepidoptera are critical pollinators. In Europe, grassland butterfly species have declined by almost 50% since the early 1990s. In the UK, three-quarters of butterflies are in decline. In the U.S., five butterfly species have gone extinct since 1950, with 29 listed as endangered.
Recorded sources for this group: IUCN Red List, Xerces Society, USFWS, PNAS, WWF. Imported estimates may describe particular regions or reporting periods.
Photos of Gatekeeper (10)
Frequently Asked Questions About Gatekeeper
What is Gatekeeper?
Gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus) is a species in the family Nymphalidae, within the order Lepidoptera.
Where is Gatekeeper found?
Habitat: This species can be found wherever shrubs grow close to rough grassland. In fact, some of the largest colonies can be found at field edges and along hedgerows and we can expect to find this butterfly in scrubby grassland, woodland rides, country lanes, hedgerows and the like anywhere within its range.
When is Gatekeeper active?
Gatekeeper: seasonal activity - July and August..
What is the life cycle of a Gatekeeper?
There is one generation each year, with adults emerging in July, peaking in early August, with only a few adults remaining until the end of the month. The larvae feed on a range of different meadow grasses.