Orange tip
Anthocharis cardamines
Size: wingspan 40-52mm.
Description: males and females look very different. Upperwings are white for both male and female with a single black spot on the forewing. This is enclosed by the characteristic orange tip only on the male. Female has faint grey tip of forewings.
The underside hind-wing of both sexes is a mottled mix of green and white markings. In flight the female could be mistaken for a small white or green-veined white, look for the mottled under-wing when the butterfly is at rest.
Habitat: flowery meadows, country lanes, hedgerows and woodland margins or gardens.
Larvae feed on cuckooflower and garlic mustard and other cabbage family members. Females will more likely be found in the vicinity of these plants.
Distribution: throughout the UK, except far north of Scotland.
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Female orange tip (northeastwildlife.co.uk) -
Male orange tip (Katherine Jaiteh/WTML) -
Orange tip showing the mottled green underwing (northeastwildlife.co.uk)
Not to be confused with
Green-veined white
The underwings of the green-veined white have green-grey lines (WTML)
Small white
Small whites have powder-yellow underwings (northeastwildlife.co.uk)
