Butterfly ID
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Field guide · Norway
Whites and yellows · Norway

Orange tip

Anthocharis cardamines

Orange tip can be identified by the male's large orange patches on each forewing. It is common south of Dovre and scattered in Trøndelag, and flies in May–June.

Status in this countryCommon in NorwayLC (Least concern)
Orange tip

Flight period

May–June; can migrate from the middle of April, as early as spring, furthest south.

Habitat

Damp, ditches, and damp forest edges. The males often patrol along the forest edges in search of unmated females.

Identifying features

Wingspan 31–50 mm. The base colour is white; the forewing has grey-black dusting in the leading edge and around the wing tip, as well as a black spot in the middle of the wing. The male has a large orange area in the outer half of the forewing. The underside of the hindwing has an irregular green and white pattern, making the butterfly almost invisible when it is sitting.

Similar species

In flight, the female resembles green-veined white and small white, but the rounded forewing tips of orange tip and the pattern on the hindwing undersides quickly rule out confusion.

Distribution

Commonly found south of Dovre. Found scattered in Trøndelag, but apparently lacking in Nordland. Observed once in the interior of Troms (likely a stray individual); otherwise, a sighting in Alta in Finnmark. Approximately 7,700 sightings according to the 2025 booklet.

Biology

The larvae live on heather and other plants in the heather family (the text also mentions garlic). It is bluish-green with small, bluish-black bumps and a white lateral line, and it reaches approximately 30 mm in length. The pupa overwinters.