Insect
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Size
38â48 mm wingspanAbout the width of a 20p coin
Weight
0.2 gVirtually weightless
Lifespan
6â8 months (overwinters as pupa)
Rarity
Common
M vs F
Males have vivid orange wingtips; females look plain white with grey wingtips â easily mistaken for a different species
Habitat
Hedgerows, woodland rides, meadows, riverbanks â wherever Lady's Smock or Garlic Mustard grows
Best time
AprilâJune (one brood only)
Conservation
UK: Green
LC
💡 Did you know?
The Orange-tip is one of the first butterflies of spring â males patrol hedgerows in April looking for the white females, who are well camouflaged against their foodplant flowers
The green marbled underside is one of the most effective examples of disruptive camouflage in British butterflies â when resting on flower heads with wings closed, they are almost invisible
Often confused with
Small White (no orange tips
rounded wings)
Green-veined White (greenish veining below
no orange)
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