When you're out walking in the sunshine this spring, perhaps you'll be lucky enough to see some Falcate Orangetips (Anthocharis midea). These little butterflies fly for a very short period in the early spring, usually from mid April to mid May in our area, and are not seen again until the following year. Average wingspan is a bit over an inch, and you can easily recognize the males by the orange- tipped white wings. The females do not have the orange-tipped wings but can easily be recognized when compared to a photo in any of the common butterfly field guides. It has been estimated that males can live for 14 days, while females live only four days.
Look for them in clearings near open deciduous woods or in
low-lying young woods near water, generally between about 9 am
and 3 pm. The adults seem to prefer to nectar at white or yellow
flowers, especially those on which the females lay their eggs, but
may be seen visiting violets, chickweed, and others.
The male patrols his territory in search of females, usually flying less than three feet above the ground near the edge of clearings. When he finds a perched female, he may circle her closely to inform her of his presence. If she is unreceptive, she will spread her wings and vibrate them while also raising her abdomen.
The female will usually lay a single egg at the base of a bud on the appropriate hostplant, but will occasionally choose other parts of the plant. Only crucifers are chosen as hostplants. She can detect the presence of another egg on the plant, in which case she will not oviposit on that plant. Egg laying generally occurs between about 10 am and 12 pm. Hostplants (alas . . . not all of them native to Virginia) include: hairy bitter cress (Cardamine hirsuta), shepherd's purse (Capsella bursapastoris), mouse-ear cress (Arabidopsis thaliana), tower mustard (Arabis glabra), smooth rock cress (A. laevigata), lyre-leaved rock cress (A. lyrata), sicklepod (A. canadensis), and cut-leaved toothwort (Dentaria laciniata).
The caterpillars feed mostly at night and will eventually make a pupa. They will spend the next winter in that state, waiting for spring before they emerge. Some will actually remain in the pupal state an extra year before emerging.
Maybe if you find yourself in the right place at the right time, you'll see some of these beautiful little butterflies this spring. If not, you'll have to wait until next year to try again. They don't stay around very long.
This article by club member Mark Etheridge was published in the Winter 1994 issue of Potowmack News, published by the Potowmack Chapter, Virginia Native Plant Society, and in the March, 1995 Butterfly Society of Virginia newsletter.