Orange Tip
Anthocharis cardamines
The Orange Tip is a medium-sized butterfly of the Pieridae family, typically found in damp meadows, open woodlands, and forest edges. It exhibits strong sexual dimorphism, with males possessing distinctive bright orange wingtips, while females are plain white and black. Both sexes feature a greenish-white mottled pattern on the underside of the hindwings for camouflage. The species is univoltine, producing a single generation per year that usually flies between April and June.
Details
Identification
Males with bright orange forewing tips; females white with black tips; both sexes with green and white mottled pattern on the underside of hindwings.
Social behavior
Solitary; males exhibit active patrolling behavior to find females.
Diet
Larvae are specialists feeding on flowers and young seed pods of crucifers; adults feed on nectar.
Spawning substrate
Flower stalks of cruciferous plants (Brassicaceae), especially Cardamine pratensis and Alliaria petiolata.
Overwintering
Overwintering as a pupa (chrysalis) attached to dry plant stems.
Ecology
Ecological role
Important pollinator of spring flowers; larvae serve as food for predatory insects and birds.
Natural predators
Songbirds, ichneumon wasps (as larval parasitoids), spiders, predatory beetles.
Competitor species
Other pierid butterfly species during nectar searching; larvae may compete with other Brassicaceae feeders.
Ecosystem service
Pollination services in forest and meadow ecosystems.
Threats
Agricultural intensification, early mowing of meadows, removal of habitat margins, and use of pesticides.
Scientific profile
Profile
Distinguishing features
The green-and-white marbling on the underside of the hindwings is a definitive diagnostic feature compared to other whites. Males are unmistakable due to their eponymous orange tips.