The characteristic orange tip of the forewings of the male makes this butterfly
easy to identify; the female is a little harder to spot. Aside from the male’s orange tip, both the male and
female look the same - white butterflies with a single black spot on the forewing. The upper wings are
white and the hind wings, which show when it is resting, are mottled green, helping to camouflage the
butterfly. The orange tip is a common butterfly; it is medium sized with a wing span range of 45-50mm.
Why do we record
orange tip butterflies?
Volunteers have recorded orange tip first
appearance as part of Nature’s Calendar since 2001
and we have earlier records dating back to 1891.
northeastwildlife.co.uk
It will be interesting to see when this event takes
place this year, compared to previous years.
Male orange tip butterfly
Our climate is changing. Climate change will
produce some winners which are well adapted to
climate change and some losers which cannot
adapt quickly enough. Long-term monitoring of
species like orange tip will help scientists to gain
a greater understanding of this issue, and provide
policymakers with hard evidence.
WTML/Richard Becker
Nature’s Calendar:
orange tip butterfly
Nature’s Calendar:
orange tip butterfly
Where to record
Orange tips (Anthocharis cardamines) can be
seen throughout the UK, except the far north of
Scotland. The best places to see them are around
country lanes, river banks, woodland margins and
damp flowery meadows, though they may also visit
gardens.
The female could be mistaken for other white
butterflies, such as the green-veined white (Pieris
napi) or the small white (Pieris rapae).
Check that your butterfly, male or female, has the
characteristic mottled green and white pattern on
the hind under wing.
WTML
Record the first time you see an active orange tip
butterfly. The mottled green hind wing may make it
quite tricky to spot!
When to record
Green veined white
northeastwildlife.co.uk
WTML/Margaret Barton
Orange tips are one of the first butterflies to
emerge from a chrysalis in spring. Butterflies seen
earlier, such as the brimstone (Gonepteryx rhamni),
have overwintered as adults. The date orange tips
emerge can vary greatly depending on what spring
temperatures are like and where you live. They may
start to emerge as early as the beginning of April, or
as late as the end of May.
Female orange tip butterfly
Not to be confused with…
The male orange tip is unmistakeable, thanks to the
flashes of orange as it flutters by.
WTML
What to record
Small white
How fast does spring move?
Theoretically, spring events should occur in the south
west of the UK first, and gradually occur further
north, as the season progresses. This is due to the
differences in climate in the north and south of the
UK. What is less clear is how quickly certain signs will
make an appearance up the country from south to
north. Nature’s Calendar will use your records to help
answer the question ‘how fast does spring move?’
Recording tips
Once you have seen a sign of spring, please record it!
Remember that you need to register on the Nature’s
Calendar website first.
Registration: naturescalendar.org.uk/register
Recording: naturescalendar.org.uk/survey/login
Please choose somewhere you visit regularly (at least
weekly) to record your signs of spring. This helps to
ensure that you spot when something happens for
the first time.
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