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Orange tip butterfly on meadowsweet leaf

 

 

The first generation of orange tip butterflies have hatched from the wintered pupae. Scientists have found out that if the spring is inclement the hatching of the pupae can be postponed by a year- what a species conservation strategy.

 

The orange tip butterflies belong to the Pieridae family; they are smaller than for instance the large white or cabbage butterfly, their wingspan is about four centimetres. Their sex is easy to determine. The tips of the male’s forewings are coloured orange from which the butterfly’s name is derived too, as reminding of a romantic sunrise.  

 

The females are without the sunrise patches, only have greyish-coloured forewing tips and a dark speckle too on the forewing. The marble pattern on the undersides of the wings is greenish-grey, but the male has it only on the underside of the hind wings. The male manages to hide its conspicuous colour quite well at rest with folded wings. The orange forewings stay behind the white hind wings and the marble pattern is a good protective colour in nature. The feelers are grey, but with white tips. The head and thorax (chest) of the male are covered with little yellowish grey hairs, the females only with dark grey ones.

 

The well known pest, the cabbage butterflies, can also be seen.