Orange-tip (Anthocharis cardamines)

Family: Pieridae Checklist: 58.003

 
Description
Wing span: 43-51 mm. The Orange-tip is one of the first species to appear that has not spent the winter as an adult. The male has the bright orange fore-wings tips that gives this butterfly its name; these are absent in the female. Both sexes have an intricate underside pattern of green blotches formed by a combination of yellow and black scales. When at rest on a flower head of the larval food plant this butterfly so well camouflaged that it can easily be missed. It is found throughout most of Britain. It has a wide range of habitats which include country lanes, hedgerows, riverbanks, woodland margins and rides, and damp meadows. It will also turn up in gardens.
 
Images (click to enlarge)
Orange-tip ♂ © David Hastings
Orange-tip ♂ underside © David Hastings
Orange-tip ♀ © David Hastings
Orange-tip ♀ underside © David Hastings
Male Male underside Female Female underside
 
Life Cycle
There is a single brood each year, with adults flying from the beginning of April, through May and into June. The pupa is the over-wintering stage.
 
Larval Foodplants
The main larval food plants are Cuckooflower (Cardamine pratensis) and Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata).
 
Nectar Sources
Adults take nectar from flowers such as Garlic Mustard, Cuckooflower and Bluebell.
 
UK Conservation Status
Least Concern
 
Earliest UTB first sighting (since 2004) : 27th February
Mean UTB first sighting (since 2004) : 28th March
 
 
Distribution and Sites
 

Key
1 sighting 2-9 max seen 10+ max seen
This species is a habitat generalist, so can be found almost anywhere in the UTB region.

 
Related Species
All Species