Regional Species


Orange-tip
Anthocharis cardamines

Photograph by Janet Graham

Regional Species

This butterfly favours lightly grazed, wet meadows with abundant Cuckoo-flower (Cardamine pratensis). It is still locally common even though the agricultural intensification of the last few decades has destroyed most of this habitat. The butterfly also occurs quite commonly on suitable roadside verges with Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) and/or Cuckoo-flower, both of which are used as larval foodplants. Another possible habitat can be provided by gardens, especially if Dame’s Violet or Honesty are grown as these can be used as alternative foodplants.

The orange-coloured eggs are laid singly in the flower heads of the foodplant and the females are careful to avoid flowers that already have an egg. These eggs are fairly conspicuous and provide an easy method of surveying for the species. The larvae feed exclusively on the flowers and developing seedpods. It is thus essential that roadside verges are not mown until late summer to allow the larvae time to develop and pupate. Unfortunately, many verges are inappropriately mown so presumably numbers of Orange-tips are much lower than could otherwise be the case.

Most people are familiar with the male Orange-tip but the female presents more of an identification problem as it looks much like any of the other 'whites' unless seen close up.