Orange Tip Butterfly_Anthocharis cardamines 02

Photographed on the Friday 22 May 2015.
Orange Tip Butterfly (Anthocharis cardamines) named after the males conspicuous bright orange tips to its wings and is a member of the Lepidoptera which includes Butterflies and Moths. In the UK there are about 80 butterfly species and 2 500 moth species. A striking springtime butterfly particularly the male, you can just make out the orange tips of this male, which belongs to the Class Insecta, Order Lepidoptera, Family Pieridae and Genus Anthocharis, is commonly known to belong to the group of butterflies known as the ‘Whites and Yellows’. The male and female show green and white mottling underneath the wing and camouflage when at rest in vegetation and the female used to be known as the ‘Lady of the Woods’ or’ Wood Lady’ because of this striking mottling. Similar to the Green-veined white this green colouration is due to black and yellow scales to give the illusion of appearing green. The Orange Tip is present throughout Europe and towards temperate Asia, common across the UK and is still expanding its range, possibly due to global warming. The male contains a large amount of mustard oils accumulated at the caterpillar stage from crucifers on which the butterfly lays its eggs and are extremely distasteful to birds. The selection of the food plants is triggered by the detection of mustard oils and their derivatives glucosinolates by the chemosensory hairs on the butterfly’s fore-legs. The females tends to hide in vegetation and the male patrols extensively looking for mates. They will often approach Green-veined White butterflies too until they get close enough to detect the scent and then fly off to continue their hunt. However, once a female is detected, especially a virgin the male hormones kick into to overdrive and little will deter him from getting to his quarry. If receptive the virgin female will signal her acceptance by raising her abdomen at right angles for about 4 seconds. Interestingly the older fe

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From Wildlife: Butterflies