Invertebrates
Orange-tip Butterfly
Anthocharis cardamines · also called orange tip
Along a spring hedgerow beside a drift of cow parsley, a male orange-tip flashes the bright tips of its wings, then lands and vanishes against the green-mottled flowers.
Overview
The orange-tip butterfly, Anthocharis cardamines, is a Least Concern spring butterfly found across Europe and temperate Asia. Its orange-tipped males, mottled green undersides, and springtime flight make it one of the most distinctive and welcome signs of the season.
A butterfly of the spring verge
The orange-tip is on the wing for only a few weeks each year, timed to the flowering of the cuckooflower and garlic mustard that its caterpillars eat.
Status
Least Concern, widespread and common.
Orange-tip Butterfly: common questions
Why is it called the orange-tip?
Males have bright orange tips to their white forewings.
How can you tell a female orange-tip?
Females have black tips on their forewings and no orange, so they look a lot like other white butterflies from above.
What do orange-tip caterpillars eat?
They feed on cuckooflower and garlic mustard.
When can you see orange-tips?
They fly mainly in spring, along hedgerows, damp meadows, and woodland rides.