North American Butterflies and Moths List

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Butterflies of North America

Butterflies of Pennsylvania

Falcate Orangetip (Anthocharis midea)
JPG -- species photo

Falcate Orangetip (Anthocharis midea Hübner)

Wing span: 1 3/8 - 1 3/4 inches (3.5 - 4.5 cm).

Identification: Upperside of male forewing with orange, hooked tip; females hooked, but lack orange; both have round black spot in cell. Underside of hindwing has finely-patterned green marbling.

Life history: Males patrol for females. Only one egg is laid per host plant, singly on a flower stalk. Caterpillars feed on buds, flowers, and seed pods. Chrysalids hibernate.

Flight: One flight from March-June.

Caterpillar hosts: Plants of the mustard (Brassicaceae) family including rock cress (Arabis) and winter cress (Barbarea) species.

Adult food: Flower nectar including flowers of mustards, violets, and others.

Habitat: Open, wet woods along waterways, open swamps, occasionally dry woods and ridgetops.

Range: Southern New England southwest to south Texas, north to eastern Oklahoma and Kansas. Local populations or strays to Florida panhandle, eastern Nebraska, and southern Wisconsin.

Conservation: Not usually required.

Management needs: Not reported.

The Nature Conservancy Global Rank: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.

References:


Opler, P. A. and V. Malikul. 1992. A field guide to eastern  butterflies. 

     Peterson field guide #4. Houghton-Mifflin Co.,  Boston. 396 pages, 

     48 color plates.



Scott, J. A. 1986. The butterflies of North America. Stanford  University 

     Press, Stanford, Calif. 583 pages, 64 color plates.

Author: Jane M. Struttmann

State and Regional References:


Glassberg,  J.  1993.  Butterflies Through Binoculars: A Field Guide to 

     Butterflies in the Boston-New York-Washington Region.  Oxford Univ. Press, 

     New York, N.Y.  160 pp.



Layberry, R.A., Hall, P.W. & Lafontaine, D.J., 1998.  The Butterflies of 

     Canada.  University of Toronto Press, Toronto, ON.  280 pp. 

     

Opler, P.A. 1998. A field guide to eastern butterflies, revised format.

     Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston.     



Shapiro, A.M. 1966.  Butterflies of the Delaware Valley.  American Entomological

     Society Special Publication.  Philadelphia, PA.  79 pp. 



Tietz, H.M.  1952.  The Lepidoptera of Pennsylvania.  The Pennsylvania State 

     College School of Agriculture Agricultural Experiment Station.  State 

     College, PA.  194 pp.



Wright, D.M.  1995,  Atlas of Pennsylvania Butterflies. Special Private 

     Publication, Lansdale, PA.  22 pp.

Falcate Orangetip (Anthocharis midea)
distribution map
map legend

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