Anthocharis cardamines   Orange Tip

Anthocharis cardamines female Anthocharis cardamines male
Anthocharis cardamines

Anthocharis cardamines Orange Tip Male upper

on leaf

Garden, Cheshire 4th May 2010

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Anthocharis cardamines

Anthocharis cardamines Orange Tip Male underside

on Hyacinthoides x massartiana Hybrid Bluebell (Pink)

Garden, Cheshire 4th May 2010

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Anthocharis cardamines

Anthocharis cardamines Orange Tip Female upper

on Cardamine pratensis Cuckoo Flower

By River Weaver, near Kingsley Cheshire 9th May 2010

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Anthocharis cardamines

Anthocharis cardamines Orange Tip Female underside

on Cardamine amara Large Bittercress

By River Weaver, near Kingsley Cheshire 9th May 2010

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Anthocharis cardamines male upper Anthocharis cardamines male underside Anthocharis cardamines female upper Anthocharis cardamines female underside

In the countryside Anthocharis cardamine's food plants include Alliaria petiolata (Jack-by-the Hedge) and Cardamine pratensis (Cuckoo flower) which are both usually April flowers but in late cold winters like 2009/2010 flower well into May. Orange tips visit our garden every Spring, sometimes very early but they flit from flower to flower settling mostly on pale or lilac coloured flowers perhaps suggesting that the colour of the flower is an attractant. The male above rested for no more than 10 seconds on the Blue Hybrid Bluebell but on the pink one stayed for several minutes taking nectar. In the large photos here they also settled on the white Cardamine amara (Large Bittercress) which is similar to Cardamine pratensis (different leaves), always white but about the same height.

LHS: Female Near River Weaver, Cheshire 9th May RHS: Garden Cheshire 4th May 2010

Added on May 10th 2010, updated 7th December 2010, updated 12th November 2014

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