Orange Tip
Saw this a while back now , 10/04/2019 in fact and it was at Warnham Nature Reserve . At the time I was not aware of the type of butterfly but have now read up and it seems it is a herald of spring - so always good to see !
The Orange-tip is a true sign of spring, being one of the first species to emerge that has not overwintered as an adult. The male and female of this species are very different in appearance. The more-conspicuous male has orange tips to the forewings, that give this butterfly its name. These orange tips are absent in the female and the female is often mistaken for one of the other whites, especially the Green-veined White or Small White. This butterfly is found throughout England, Wales and Ireland, but is somewhat-local further north and especially in Scotland. In most regions this butterfly does not form discrete colonies and wanders in every direction as it flies along hedgerows and woodland margins looking for a mate, nectar sources or foodplants. More northerly colonies are more compact and also more restricted in their movements.
Anthocharis cardamines ssp. cardamines
The species was first defined in Linnaeus (1758) as shown here (type locality: Sweden). The nominate subspecies has not been recorded in the British Isles.
Anthocharis cardamines ssp. britannica
This subspecies was first defined in Verity (1908) (type locality: England).
This subspecies is found throughout the British Isles, with the exception of Ireland and the Isle of Man. Williams (1916) disagrees with a particular aspect of the definition: "The extension of the black apical markings to the anal angle, however, is surely not so common in British specimens as to justify its use as a character differentiating British from continental specimens. I have only two specimens agreeing exactly with the description".
taken from " UK Butterflies " web page .
Orange Tip
Saw this a while back now , 10/04/2019 in fact and it was at Warnham Nature Reserve . At the time I was not aware of the type of butterfly but have now read up and it seems it is a herald of spring - so always good to see !
The Orange-tip is a true sign of spring, being one of the first species to emerge that has not overwintered as an adult. The male and female of this species are very different in appearance. The more-conspicuous male has orange tips to the forewings, that give this butterfly its name. These orange tips are absent in the female and the female is often mistaken for one of the other whites, especially the Green-veined White or Small White. This butterfly is found throughout England, Wales and Ireland, but is somewhat-local further north and especially in Scotland. In most regions this butterfly does not form discrete colonies and wanders in every direction as it flies along hedgerows and woodland margins looking for a mate, nectar sources or foodplants. More northerly colonies are more compact and also more restricted in their movements.
Anthocharis cardamines ssp. cardamines
The species was first defined in Linnaeus (1758) as shown here (type locality: Sweden). The nominate subspecies has not been recorded in the British Isles.
Anthocharis cardamines ssp. britannica
This subspecies was first defined in Verity (1908) (type locality: England).
This subspecies is found throughout the British Isles, with the exception of Ireland and the Isle of Man. Williams (1916) disagrees with a particular aspect of the definition: "The extension of the black apical markings to the anal angle, however, is surely not so common in British specimens as to justify its use as a character differentiating British from continental specimens. I have only two specimens agreeing exactly with the description".
taken from " UK Butterflies " web page .