This marker on the Cambridge Butterfly Trail is at Barnwell West local nature reserve – see the map above.

This medium-sized butterfly is frequently seen and widely distributed, often spotted in gardens and along hedgerows.

The males are easily recognised by their white wings with vivid orange tips. Females are also white but have black tips instead. Both sexes feature green, mottled patterns on the underside of their wings.

The Small white looks quite similar to the female, though it does not have the same underwing markings.

Orange‑tip caterpillars can be surprisingly ruthless. If more than one egg is laid on the same plant, the first larva to hatch will often eat its siblings to get more resources for itself! This behaviour is a result of the butterfly’s strategy to ensure that the strongest caterpillar survives when food is limited.

For more information, please visit Butterfly Conservation’s page on this species – Orange-tip.