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)