The Falcate Orangetip is a distinctive little butterfly, named for the hooked tip of its forewings that gives it a “falcate” appearance. While the name highlights the orange coloring, it’s only the males that display the bright orange wingtips; females are entirely white, marked only by a single black spot. The underside of the hindwings features a striking gray-marbled pattern that adds to the butterfly’s subtle beauty.
Male
“Male Orangetip Butterfly” by Phil Mclver, licensed under (CC BY-NC 2.0)
Female
“Female Orangetip Butterfly” by Max Davies, licensed under (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Falcate Orangetip Facts
Butterfly Family: Pieridae
Butterfly Subfamily: Pierinae
Wingspan: 1 3/8 – 1 3/4 inches
Habitat: Open, wet woods along waterways, open swamps, occasionally dry woods and ridgetops
🪴 Host Plants
These are the plants where females lay eggs and caterpillars feed:
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Bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta)
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Toothwort (Cardamine spp.)
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Winter Cress (Barbarea vulgaris)
🌸 Nectar Plants
Adult Falcate Orangetip butterflies feed on nectar from a variety of native flowers:
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Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)
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Chickweed (Stellaria media)
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Cutleaf Toothwort (Cardamine concatenata)
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Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)
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Dutchman’s Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria)
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Golden Ragwort (Packera aurea)
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Jacob’s Ladder (Polemonium reptans)
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Mustards (Brassicaceae family)
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Rue Anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides)
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Spring Beauties (Claytonia virginica)
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Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica)
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Violets (Viola spp.)
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Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum)