Gatekeeper

Gatekeeper

Photograph of a Gatekeeper butterfly feeding on a plant.It has a light brown body with a dusty brown colour on the underside of the wing and a brighter orange colour on the surface wing.

Gatekeeper

Gatekeeper

Photograph of a Gatekeeper butterfly feeding on a plant.It has a light brown body with a dusty brown colour on the underside of the wing and a brighter orange colour on the surface wing.

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Latin: Pyronia tithonus

Irish: Geatóir

The Gatekeeper is resident and locally common, flying in late July and August around blackberry and ragwort where it is able to use its particularly short proboscis to reach the nectar of these open flowers.

Single-brooded, this species is found in the Raven Wood and occasionally, on the North Slobs. It lays its eggs in various grasses, usually under bushes, and these hatch after about two and a half weeks.

The caterpillar stage lasts for approximately eight months and includes winter hibernation. This is followed by a three to four week chrysalis stage.