Orange-tip

Description

The common name derives from the bright orange tips of the male's forewings.The males are a common sight in spring,flying along hedgerows and damp meadows in search of the more reclusive female which lacks the orange and is often mistaken for other species of butterfly.The undersides are mottled green and white and create a superb camouflage when settled on flowerheads such as cow parsley and garlic mustard(Alliaria petiolata). Males display a variation in body size,which is attributed to their host plant.Males reared on C.pratensis become the smaller of the two variants,and those reared on A.petiolata become the larger.