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Orange tip

 

 

The first generation of orange tips has hatched from the orange tip pupas that survived the winter even in North Estonia – they are mostly seen just before mid-May. Researchers have confirmed that if the spring is very unfavourable the butterfly caterpillars that have developed into pupas can postpone their hatching by a year: an amazing strategy for maintaining the species.

 

It is a fairly small butterfly whose sex is quite easy to determine.

 

The tips of the male butterfly’s forewings are orange-coloured – hence the name of the butterfly that in several languages refers to a romantic sunrise such as koiduliblikas, “dawn butterfly”, in Estonian, Aurorafjäril, “Aurora butterfly” in Swedish.  

 

The female butterflies lack the sunrise spots: the tips of the forewings are just greyish- coloured. On the undersides of the wings a characteristic greenish-grey marble pattern is evident on closer inspection; only the underside of the males’ hind wings is patterned.

 

The male can conceal the ”dawn colour” very successfully in the resting position. The orange forewings are hidden behind the white hind wings, and the marble pattern of the undersides is an excellent protective colouring in nature.

 

The tips of the grey antennae are white. The male’s head and thorax are covered with yellowish-grey little hairs, those of the female with dark grey.

 

But already quite a number of species are visible – a pleasant butterfly season!