Gatekeeper: Where It Lives, Map & Facts

Where the gatekeeper lives – recorded in 10 countries, with quick facts from Wikidata and an introduction from Wikipedia.

Scientific name	Pyronia tithonus
Group	Butterflies & moths
Status	Least concern (Wikidata, IUCN category label)
Found in	10 countries
Continents	Europe
Class	Insect
Order	Lepidoptera
Family	Nymphalidae

Where does the gatekeeper live?

Open-licence (CC0 / CC BY) wild records published on GBIF place the gatekeeper in 10 countries and territories across Europe.

Countries with at least a handful of records (a minimum share of the species’ records, to leave out vagrants and escapes). Records with coordinates only; captive and fossil records excluded.

Is the gatekeeper endangered?

The gatekeeper’s conservation status recorded in Wikidata is “Least concern” (an IUCN Red List category label). Source: Wikidata.

What kind of animal is the gatekeeper?

The gatekeeper (Pyronia tithonus) is an insect in the order Lepidoptera and the family Nymphalidae, genus Pyronia. (Taxonomy from Wikidata.)

About the gatekeeper

The gatekeeper or hedge brown (Pyronia tithonus) is a species of butterfly found across Europe. Given its preference for warmer weather, the restriction of range expansion can be assumed to be due to climate. Colonies vary in size depending on the available habitat, and can range from a few dozen to several thousand butterflies. Named for its rigorous patrol of hedges and woodland rides, the gatekeeper butterfly is a prime pollinator. The caterpillars primarily feed on fine grasses such as fescues (Festuca) and bents (Agrostis), which are common in meadows and roadside verges.

Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Gatekeeper (butterfly) (revision 1377081474), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: lead section excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Quick facts, taxonomy and status: Wikidata Q1668437 (CC0). Countries and pin: GBIF.org occurrence records (CC0 / CC BY 4.0).