Great British Lepidoptera

Orange-Tip

(Anthocharis Cardamines)

The Orange Tip is a colourful symbol of spring time. It is usually found between early May and June along roadsides, ditches and rough pastures where its foodplants grow. The butterflies each live for about 18 days, with only one generation a year. Male Orange Tips can be seen patrolling their territories along river banks and ditches while females tend to move farther afield looking for foodplants where they can lay their eggs. A wide variety of plants of the Cabbage family may be used for food, but caterpillars prefer creeping-yellow cress (Rorippa sylvestris), Cuckoo Flower (Cardamine pratensis), Large Bittercress (Cardamine amara), Wild Turnip (Brassica Rapa)  and Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata). The young caterpillars have long forked hairs which produce a sweet liquid on which ants feed.

During the past few decades the Orange Tip has extended its range northwards into Yorkshire, Durham, Northumberland and the Borders, almost linking up with an isolated population in North-East Scotland. The reason for the revival is thought to be colder Aprils over the past 20 years, causing the butterflies to emerge from their chrysalises later, when more flowers are in bloom in the countryside.