Falcate Orangetip
Encyclopedia
The Falcate Orangetip is a North American
butterfly
that was described in 1809 by Jacob Hübner
. It belongs to the family Pieridae
which is the white and sulphurs. These butterflies are mostly seen on the eastern side of the United States
, particularly in Texas
and Oklahoma
. They eat the nectar of violets and mustards. They tend to live in open, wet woods along waterways, in open swamps, and less often in dry woods and ridgetops. The Falcate Orangetip is a true spring time butterfly, being on the wing from April-May (March-May in southern Texas).
The upper side of the male's forewing is orange, but females lack this. Both have a round black spot located in the cell. The underside of the hindwing usually has intricate green-marbling. The orangetips have a wingspan of around 3.5-4.5 centimeters.
The only similar species in the Falcate Orangetip's range is the Olympia Marble Euchloe olympia. The upper side of the Olympia Marble's forewing has a grayish-black apex and the underside of the hindwing has yellow-green marbling.
singly on host plant flowers. The eggs are yellow-green but turn red just before hatching. The larva
e feed mainly at night and prefer to eat flowers, flower buds, and seed pots rather than leaves. They are also cannibalistic, devouring smaller larvae that may be feeding on the same plant. The larva is an olive-green color with a yellow middorsal stripe. There is a white spiracular stripe that runs the length of the body. It has short hairs and is covered with tiny black dots. It can grow up to 3 centimeters long. The larvae pupate in mid June. The chrysalis is a yellowish color and is covered with black spots. It also has a spike-like projection on the head which makes it look somewhat like a thorn. The chrysalis may overwinter
for two or more years. It has 1 brood per year.
North American
North American generally refers to an entity, people, group, or attribute of North America, especially of the United States and Canada together.-Culture:*North American English, a collective term used to describe American English and Canadian English...
butterfly
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
that was described in 1809 by Jacob Hübner
Jacob Hübner
Jacob Hübner was a German entomologist. He was the author of Sammlung Europäischer Schmetterlinge , a founding work of entomology.-Scientific career:...
. It belongs to the family Pieridae
Pieridae
The Pieridae are a large family of butterflies with about 76 genera containing approximately 1,100 species, mostly from tropical Africa and Asia. Most pierid butterflies are white, yellow or orange in coloration, often with black spots...
which is the white and sulphurs. These butterflies are mostly seen on the eastern side of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, particularly in Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
and Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. They eat the nectar of violets and mustards. They tend to live in open, wet woods along waterways, in open swamps, and less often in dry woods and ridgetops. The Falcate Orangetip is a true spring time butterfly, being on the wing from April-May (March-May in southern Texas).
Description
Similar Species
Life cycle
Males patrol on hilltops and flats all day seeking females. Females lay their eggsEgg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
singly on host plant flowers. The eggs are yellow-green but turn red just before hatching. The larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e feed mainly at night and prefer to eat flowers, flower buds, and seed pots rather than leaves. They are also cannibalistic, devouring smaller larvae that may be feeding on the same plant. The larva is an olive-green color with a yellow middorsal stripe. There is a white spiracular stripe that runs the length of the body. It has short hairs and is covered with tiny black dots. It can grow up to 3 centimeters long. The larvae pupate in mid June. The chrysalis is a yellowish color and is covered with black spots. It also has a spike-like projection on the head which makes it look somewhat like a thorn. The chrysalis may overwinter
Overwinter
To overwinter is to pass through or wait out the winter season, or to pass through that period of the year when “winter” conditions make normal activity or even survival difficult or near impossible...
for two or more years. It has 1 brood per year.
Host Plants
Here is a list of host plants used by the Falcate Orangetip:- Arabis canadensis
- Arabis divaricarpa
- Arabis glabraArabis glabraArabis glabra, or tower mustard, is a tall, slim, grey-green plant with small creamy flowers at the top of the stem. It usually grows on poor chalky or sandy soils, in open situations. It is native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa, and it is widespread in North America where it is also probably...
- Arabis laevigata
- Arabis lyrata
- Arabis serotinaArabis serotinaArabis serotina is a rare species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common name shale barren rockcress. It is native to eastern West Virginia and western Virginia in and around the Shenandoah Valley, where it is known from fewer than 60 populations...
- Barbarea vernaBarbarea vernaLand cress , also known as American cress, bank cress, black wood cress, Belle Isle cress, Bermuda cress, early yellowrocket, early wintercress, scurvy cress, and upland cress, is a biennial herb in the family Brassicaceae. It is native to southwestern Europe, but is also cultivated in Florida...
- Cardamine bulbosaCardamine bulbosaThe Bulbous Cress, Bittercress, or Spring Cress is a perennial plant native to eastern North America. This plant grows in moist soils of bottomland woods and wet meadows....
- Cardamine concatenataCardamine concatenataThe Cutleaf Toothwort, Crow's Toes, Pepper Root, Purple-flowered Toothwort is a flowering plant in Brassicaceae. It owes its name to the tooth-like appearance of its rhizome. It is a perennial plant woodland wildflower native to eastern North America...
- Cardamine hirsutaCardamine hirsutaHairy Bittercress, Cardamine hirsuta, is a winter annual plant native to Europe and Asia, but also present in North America as an invasive weed. The plant is a member of the mustard family , and is edible as a bitter herb. It flowers from quite early in the Spring until the Autumn...
- Cardamine parviflora
- Dentaria diphylla
- Dentaria heterophylla
- Lepidium densiflorumLepidium densiflorumLepidium densiflorum is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by the common names common pepperweed and prairie peppergrass. It is a common and widespread plant in North America, where it grows in many habitats across Canada and the United States...