Orange-tip

It’s easy to see where these butterflies get their name – the males have bright orange tips on their wings! See them from early spring through to summer in meadows, woodland and hedges.

Scientific name

Anthocharis cardamines

When to see

April to July

Species information

Statistics

Wingspan: 4.0-5.2cm

Common.

About

These pretty little butterflies are easy to spot as the males’ wings have bright orange tips – giving them their name! They are a common sight during spring and can be found in lots of places including meadows, woodland and hedges. The adults lay their eggs on special plants to ensure that their caterpillars have the right food to eat. Orange-tip caterpillars love garlic mustard, cuckooflower and hedge mustard plants.

How to identify

The male orange-tip is unmistakeable: a white butterfly, half of its forewing is a bold orange, and it has light grey wingtips. The female is also white, but has grey-black wingtips, similar to the white butterflies. Both sexes show a mottled, 'mossy grey' pattern on the underside of their hindwings when at rest.

Distribution

Found across the UK, although scarcer in the north of Scotland.

Did you know?

Orange-tip caterpillars are cannibals, eating their own eggshell when they emerge and moving on to eat other orange-tip eggs nearby. Caterpillars pupate in July and overwinter as a pupa, emerging as butterflies the following spring.

The tiny orange egg of an orange-tip caterpillar, laid on the thin green stem of a cuckooflower plant, which has pale pink flowers

Orange-tip egg on cuckooflower

Feeding orange-tips in your garden

Adult butterflies will visit a variety of flowers to sip on nectar, including bluebells, bugle, cuckooflower, dandelions and garlic mustard. The caterpillars prefer to feed on cuckooflower and garlic mustard - look out for tiny orange eggs on the stems!