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:

  • Bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta)

  • Toothwort (Cardamine spp.)

  • Winter Cress (Barbarea vulgaris)

 

🌸 Nectar Plants

Adult Falcate Orangetip butterflies feed on nectar from a variety of native flowers:

  • Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)

  • Chickweed (Stellaria media)

  • Cutleaf Toothwort (Cardamine concatenata)

  • Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

  • Dutchman’s Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria)

  • Golden Ragwort (Packera aurea)

  • Jacob’s Ladder (Polemonium reptans)

  • Mustards (Brassicaceae family)

  • Rue Anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides)

  • Spring Beauties (Claytonia virginica)

  • Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica)

  • Violets (Viola spp.)

  • Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum)