That this butterfly is named after a woman known for her great beauty comes as no surprise. Only a person with no appreciation for what is beautiful can fail to find pleasure in watching this butterfly flying from one bush to the other as it visits flowers to sip nectar or looks for a place where to lay its eggs.

In some parts of Europe, the Cleopatra is very common but in Malta, it is the least likely ‘white’ butterfly you probably see as it is restricted to maquis habitats where buckthorns grow. It can also be found in large gardens such as Buskett and San Anton. Most maquis habitats have disappeared together with the buckthorn bushes that used to grow in it.

In Maltese, the Cleopatra is known as farfett taż-żiju –żiju being the olive-leaved buckthorn, one of two buckthorn species on which the caterpillars of the Cleopatra feed.

In Malta, it is the least likely ‘white’ butterfly you will probably see

This species is easily recognised because it is the only butterfly found locally with bright yellow wings, and in males, orange upper front wings. It is unfortunate that this butterfly never rests with its wings open like other butterflies, as the orange colour is found only on the inside of the wings and can be seen only when it is flying.

The Cleopatra forms part of a species known as Gonepteryx, a genus of butterfly in the Pieridae family.

In this family, one finds the butterflies known as the whites, which include some very common species such as the large, small and bath white as well as the clouded yellow.

The species Gonepeteryx Cleopatra, which has 10 sub-species, have raised veins on the underside of their wings. With these veins and the shape and colour of the wings, it is easy for a predator to mistake the butterfly for a leaf.

In some parts of Europe, the Cleopatra can easily be confused with the brimstone butterfly, a close relative which has a similar shape and colour but which does not have the orange colour on its front wings.

Cleopatras are found in northwest Africa, southern Europe, the Canary Islands, Turkey and the Middle East. In the Maltese islands the adults can be seen from March to July. This species, although never common in the Maltese islands, has not suffered the same decline in numbers seen in other butterfly species.