
Wood White
Common and widespread, this medium-sized butterfly can be found in gardens and hedgerows.
The males are unmistakable; white butterflies with bright orange wingtips. The females are white with black wingtips. Both have mottled green underwings.
The Small White is very similar to the female but lacks the underwing markings. Discover how to identify white butterflies with this handy guide.
Several crucifers are used, especially Cuckooflower (Cardamine pratensis) in damp meadows and Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) along road verges and ditches. Occasionally, it uses Hedge Mustard (Sisymbrium officinale), Winter-cress (Barbarea vulgaris), Turnip (Brassica rapa), Charlock (Sinapis avensis), Large Bitter-cress (C. amara), and Hairy Rock-cress (Arbis hirsuta). In addition, it lays its eggs on Honesty (Lunaria annua) and Dame's-violet (Hesperis matronalis) in gardens, but larval survival is thought to be poor on these plants.
Orange-tips prefer damp habitats such as meadows, woodland glades, hedgerows and the banks of streams and rivers, but readily visit gardens.
Orange-tip (male/upperwing) - Adam Gor
Adam Gor
Orange-tip (female/upperwing) - Tamás Nestor
Tamás Nestor
Orange-tip (male/underwing) - Adam Gor
Adam Gor
Orange-tip (female/underwing) - Adam Gor
Adam Gor
Orange-tip (male/underwing) - Iain Leach
Iain Leach
Orange-tip (male/upperwing) - Iain Leach
Iain Leach
Orange-tip (female/upperwing) - Gilles San Martin
Gilles San Martin
Orange-tip (male & female) - Adam Gor
Orange-tip (male & female) - Adam Gor
Orange-tip (egg) - Andrew Cooper
Orange-tip (egg) - Andrew Cooper
Orange-tip (mature egg) - Gilles San Martin
Gilles San Martin
Orange-tip (caterpillar) - Gilles San Martin
Gilles San Martin
Orange-tip (pupa) - Dean Morley
Dean Morley