Orange-tip (<i>Anthocharis cardamines</i>)

In Western Europe, the first Orange-tip gives us the feeling that spring has arrived. However, high in the mountains, these butterflies only appear in early summer. The Orange-tip occurs in damp to quite wet grasslands at the edge of woods, or near thickets. The eggs are laid singly on flowerheads of different crucifers. At first, the caterpillars feed on the flowerbuds of the foodplant and later on the fruits. They live alone, which accords with their cannibalistic nature. When ready to pupate, they move into rough vegetation, climbing up a little twig and turning into an attractive light-brown pupa, suspended from the plant by a silken girdle. The Orange-tip hibernates in this stage and has one generation a year.

Family	Pieridae
Subfamily	Pierinae
Genus	Anthocharis
Species	cardamines
Authority	(Linnaeus, 1758)
English Name	Orange-tip

European Red List 2010	Least Concern (LC)
EU 27 Red List 2010	Least Concern (LC)
European Red List 2025	Least Concern (LC)
EU 27 Red List 2025	Least Concern (LC)
Habitats Directive
Bern Convention
CITES

#	Order	Family	Genus	Species	Vernacular Name
1	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Alliaria	petiolata	Garlic Mustard
2	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Arabidopsis	arenosa	Sand Rock-cress
3	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Arabidopsis	thaliana	Thale Cress
4	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Arabis		Rock-cresses
5	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Arabis	alpina	Alpine Rock-cress
6	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Arabis	hirsuta	Hairy Rock-cress
7	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Arabis	nova
8	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Arabis	sagittata
9	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Armoracia	rusticana	Horse-radish
10	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Aubrieta		Aubretia
11	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Barbarea	verna	American Winter-cress
12	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Barbarea	vulgaris	Winter-cress
13	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Barbarea	vulgaris ssp. vulgaris
14	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Biscutella	coronopifolia
15	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Biscutella	didyma
16	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Biscutella	laevigata
17	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Biscutella	mollis
18	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Bornmuellera	emarginata
19	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Brassica	napus	Oil-seed Rape (see ssp.)
20	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Brassica	oleracea	Cabbages
21	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Brassica	rapa	Turnip (see ssp.)
22	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Capsella	bursa-pastoris	Shepherd's-purse
23	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Cardamine	amara	Large Bitter-cress
24	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Cardamine	bulbifera	Coralroot
25	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Cardamine	flexuosa	Wavy Bitter-cress
26	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Cardamine	hirsuta	Hairy Bitter-cress
27	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Cardamine	impatiens	Narrow-leaved Bitter-cress
28	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Cardamine	pratensis	Cuckooflower
29	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Cardamine	pratensis ssp. paludosa
30	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Cardamine	pratensis ssp. pratensis
31	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Cochlearia	officinalis	Common Scurvygrass
32	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Coincya	monensis ssp. cheiranthos
33	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Conringia	orientalis	Hare's-ear Mustard
34	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Descurainia	sophia	Flixweed
35	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Diplotaxis	erucoides	White Rocket
36	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Draba	muralis
37	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Draba	verna
38	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Erucastrum	nasturtiifolium
39	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Hesperis	laciniata
40	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Hesperis	matronalis	Dame's-violet
41	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Hirschfeldia	incana	Hoary Mustard
42	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Isatis	tinctoria	Woad
43	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Lepidium	campestre	Field Pepperwort
44	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Lepidium	draba	Hoary Cress
45	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Lepidium	villarsii
46	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Lunaria	annua	Honesty
47	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Lunaria	rediviva
48	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Nasturtium	officinale	Water-cress
49	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Noccaea	caerulescens	Alpine Penny-cress
50	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Noccaea	caerulescens ssp. caerulescens
51	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Noccaea	perfoliata
52	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Pseudoturritis	turrita	Tower Cress
53	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Raphanus	raphanistrum	Wild Radish (see ssp.)
54	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Rhamphospermum	arvense
55	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Rorippa	amphibia	Great Yellow-cress
56	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Rorippa	austriaca	Austrian Yellow-cress
57	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Rorippa	pyrenaica
58	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Rorippa	sylvestris	Creeping Yellow-cress
59	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Sinapis	alba	White Mustard
60	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Sisymbrium	irio	London-rocket
61	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Sisymbrium	officinale	Hedge Mustard
62	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Teesdalia	nudicaulis	Shepherd's Cress
63	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Thlaspi	arvense	Field Penny-cress
64	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Turritis	brassica
65	Brassicales	Brassicaceae	Turritis	glabra	Tower Mustard
66	Brassicales	Resedaceae	Reseda	lutea	Wild Mignonette
67	Brassicales	Resedaceae	Reseda	luteola	Weld
68	Brassicales	Tropaeolaceae	Tropaeolum	majus	Nasturtium

Orange-tip (Anthocharis cardamines)

Description

Distribution

Larval Foodplants