Butterflies & moths to look for in May — Orange Tip Butterfly
Where to look
To see one, look in damp places such as meadows, woodland clearings, hedgerows and along stream and riverbanks. However, they also regularly visit gardens as well!
Description
While other butterflies hibernate to give them a head start in spring, the orange tip (Anthocharis cardamines) is usually the first butterfly species to emerge from a chrysalis. Their name comes from the orange tips of the male’s forewings. Females lack the orange colouring, but like the males, have green and white mottling on the underside of the wings which helps sort them out from other white butterflies.
For more info see https://butterfly-conservation.org/butterflies/orange-tip
For more info see https://butterfly-conservation.org/butterflies/orange-tip
Spottings
“An early orange Tip!”
Ali
Tamsin
Jo
Shepherds Croft
Alfie
“Drawn by Alfie Black Age 6 "His favourite Butterfly"”
Nanny
Lana
Pops
“5 Orange Wing Butterflies seen amongst canalside vegetation at home.”
Daisy
“Orange tip! Hard to photograph because it wouldn't stay still!”
Amélie
“Two together”
Gav
“The female orange tip butterfly has one of my favourite underwing patterns. So vibrant! Spotted this one in a garden in Lower Amble, Cornwall.”
Tamsin
Xavier
Where we've found Orange Tip Butterflies
Orange Tip Butterfly spottings journal (18 seen)
| Last seen | Location | Spotted by | Group | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 May 2023 | Theo & Frankie | |||
| 9 May 2023 | Stroud Valleys Project | |||
| 8 Apr 2022 | Stroud | Stroud Valleys Project | An early orange Tip! | |
| 7 May 2021 | Our garden, Paganhill | Ali | Tochers | |
| 30 Apr 2021 | Stroud | Tamsin | Stroud Valleys Project | |
| 27 May 2020 | Stroud Valley Community School | |||
| 19 May 2020 | Garden | Jo | The Weaver's | |
| 19 May 2020 | Shepherds Croft | The Weaver's | ||
| 18 May 2020 | Chesterton Farm Track, Cirencester | Alfie | Ireland Class | Drawn by Alfie Black Age 6 "His favourite Butterfly" |
| 7 May 2020 | Our garden | Gabb | ||
| 5 May 2020 | Seen on the Wessex Ridgeway on our walk up Etchilhampton Hill. | Nanny | Cooks&Co | |
| 5 May 2020 | Filton | Lana | The Emmetts | |
| 5 May 2020 | SN10 2ES | Pops | Cooks&Co | 5 Orange Wing Butterflies seen amongst canalside vegetation at home. |
| 3 May 2020 | Polzeath | Daisy | Blended | Orange tip! Hard to photograph because it wouldn't stay still! |
| 27 Apr 2020 | Garden | Amélie | Cooks&Co | Two together |
| 14 Apr 2020 | Lower Amble, Cornwall. | Gav | Blended | The female orange tip butterfly has one of my favourite underwing patterns. So vibrant! Spotted this one in a garden in Lower Amble, Cornwall. |
| 13 Apr 2020 | Stroud | Tamsin | Stroud Valleys Project | |
| 11 Apr 2020 | In my garden | Xavier | MogsHouse |
← OTHER THINGS TO LOOK FOR THIS MONTH
