orange-tip Anthocharis cardamines

Photo of orange-tip (Anthocharis cardamines)

(c) Mattia Menchetti, some rights reserved (CC BY)

OrderButterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera)
FamilyWhites, Yellows, and Sulphurs (Pieridae)
GenusOrangetips (Anthocharis)

Here's a fact that fooled early butterfly scientists for decades: only the male orange-tips have those distinctive orange patches on their wings. Females are plain white with black markingsβ€”so different they were once thought to be an entirely separate species. These elegant butterflies span from Europe all the way across temperate Asia, making them one of the most widespread and instantly recognizable butterflies in the Northern Hemisphere.

Think you can identify this one in the wild?

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