Tiny White Butterfly In Spring

Male Falcate Orangetip

A tiny white butterfly that flutters low to the ground with quick, erratic movements. Though that orange tip seems it would be obvious, when the butterfly is in flight it can be hard to spot. The Falcate Orangetip (Anthocharis midea) has a wingspan of 1.5 inches.

Female Falcate Orangetip

The male and female butterflies are sexually dimorphic, meaning the male and female have different looks. The male, shown in the first image is the one that gives the species its name, with the orange tip visible in the dorsal view. The female, in the image immediately above, is white and gray.

These butterflies are native to the eastern US and in the eastern portions of Texas and Oklahoma. They’re active early to mid spring.

Notice them now, they’ll be gone before you know it.

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Brenda Clements Jones

Brenda is a certified Virginia Master Naturalist, a Habitat Defender for Shenandoah National Park, and a devoted fan of Mother Nature. She lives in a cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains near Shenandoah National Park, and hikes up to the higher elevations of her mountain often to see what nature is up to. Her constant hiking companion is a camera that captures nature as it unfolds through the seasons. It’s her goal to share the natural world around her through her photographs.

2 thoughts on “Tiny White Butterfly In Spring”

  1. you amaze me, Brenda Clements!!
    Thank you so much for sharing their knowledge.

    1. Oh Joanne! You are so sweet! All I do is wander around with my camera and wonder about things. There’s so much out there to learn. And thank you for being there, so that I have a reason for taking the pictures and wondering about them!

      I’m so very glad that I’ve FINALLY gotten you connected properly!
      Again, thank you for being there!
      Bren

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