Home The Butterflies of Gloucestershire Species Habitats Conservation

Orange Tip

Anthocharis cardamines
Male, 8 June 1980 Female, 21 May 1977

Habitat

The Orange Tip is commonest in open woodland, meadows and hedgerows where its main foodplants may be found: Cuckoo Flower (Cardamine pratensis) and Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata).

Egg on stem of Cuckoo Flower

Conservation Issues

Loss of hedgerows could reduce its habitat, but the Orange Tip is common and under no apparent threat at present.

Flight Period

The main flight period is from early April to early June. Rarely, it has also been seen late in the summer, either through very delayed emergence or a second generation.

Distribution

Throughout the area.