Pictures ©2005, Wild About Britain

Orange Tip Butterfly - Anthocharis cardamines

An attractive spring butterfly growing to between 35 to 45mm (1.4 to 1.8in), widespread in southern England and Ireland. It's range extends over Western Europe to China and Japan. One of the first spring butterflies, seen flying close to the ground in gardens, lanes and forest paths, April to late June, inhabiting flowery glades in deciduous woods. Sexually dimorphic, males ♂ having white forewings with orange outer halves and light brown tips that are very striking in flight. Females ♀ have white forewings with light brown tips. Both sexes have green and white mottled rear wings. Produces one generation in a year, blue-green caterpillar with white striped sides is usually found from May to August on Cardamine, Cuckoo flower and Cress, the chrysalis hibernates. Declining in numbers due to drainage of damp localities and meadows and the use of insecticides.

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