Anthocharis cardamines

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Anthocharis cardamines
Photo Information
Copyright: Milos Koudelka (mikou) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 903 W: 79 N: 1362] (5261)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2007-04-27
Categories: Insects
Camera: Canon PowerShot S2 IS, Mora Close-up 58mm +4
Exposure: f/6.3, 1/640 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2007-05-08 7:45
Viewed: 356
Points: 44
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
The Orange Tip (Anthocharis cardamines)
Bělásek řeřichový
is a butterfly in the Pieridae family.
Appearance, behaviour and distribution:
So named because of the male's bright orange tips to his forwings. The males are a common sight in spring flying along hedgerows and damp meadows in search of the more reclusive female which lacks the orange and is often mistaken for one of the other 'White' butterflies. The undersides are mottled green and white and create a superb camouflage when settled on flowerheads such as Cow Parsley and Garlic Mustard Alliaria petiolata. The male is able to hide his orange tips by tucking the forwings behind the hindwings at rest. If you look closely at the mottling you will see that the green colour is in fact made up of a mixture of black and yellow scales. It is found across Europe, and eastwards into temperate Asia as far as Japan. The past 30 years has seen a rapid increase in the range of the Orange Tip in the UK particularly in Scotland and Ireland, probably in response to climate change.
Lifecycle and foodplants:
The female lays eggs singly on the flowerheads of Cuckooflower Cardimine pratensis and Garlic Mustard and many other species of wild Crucifers. Females are attracted to larger flowers, such as Hesperis matronalis, even though some such species are poor larval hosts. Selection of foodplants is triggered by the presence of mustard oils, which are detected by chemosensory hairs on the fore-legs. Reproductive rate of females appears to be limited by difficulties in finding suitable hosts. As a consequence, the species has evolved to use a wide range of crucifers. The eggs are white to begin with but change to a bright orange after a few days before darkening off just before hatching. Because the larvae feed almost exclusively on the flowers and developing seedpods there is rarely enough food to support more than one larva per plant. If two larvae meet one will often be eaten by the other to eliminate its competitor. Newly hatched larvae will also eat unhatched eggs for the same reason. To stop eggs from being laid on plants already laid on the female leaves a pheromone to deter future females from laying. There are five larval instars. The green and white caterpillar is attacked by several natural enemies (notably Tachinid flies and Braconid wasps). Pupation occurs in early summer in scrubby vegetation near the foodplant, where they stay to emerge the following spring. Recent research suggests that the emergence of the butterfly may be delayed for as much as two years, thus ensuring the species against unfavourable conditions in a given season.
(from Wikipedia encyclopedia)

Alex99, SkyF, Juyona, jmp, kokos101, claudine, ridvan, Maite, Ken52, anel, uleko, ramthakur, Silvio2006, angybone, Hil, nainnain, JORAPAVI has marked this note useful
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Critiques [Translate]

  • Great 
  • Alex99 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2935 W: 142 N: 4217] (13775)
  • [2007-05-08 7:49]

Hi Milos.
You have shared a very pictorial couple of shots. I like POV of both pictures. This double collage presents this charming species very well. Light, colours and details of the pictures are great as well as the impressive perfect blurred (on the left) and well detailed (on the right) shots. Well done and my best wishes.
Alexei.

  • Great 
  • SkyF Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2447 W: 207 N: 2035] (8113)
  • [2007-05-08 8:52]

Hi Milos,
wonderful collage, showing off the butterfly from different POV is great and gives us a very good view to compare the different sides of the wings. Could be a bit sharper, but the overall presentation is wonderful. Greatcolors and lovely lighting.
TFS..Sky

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2416 W: 132 N: 6653] (20877)
  • [2007-05-08 8:58]

Hello Milos,
Nice double image of both sexes of the Orange Tip, both shown on the flowers of the food plant. Both shots are pretty sharp and well presented, a good achievement as this species is too active to capture easily.
TFS and best wishes, Ivan

  • Great 
  • Juyona Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 2072 W: 6 N: 1848] (12716)
  • [2007-05-08 10:08]

Hola Milos,
bella y ilustrativo collage,
detalles, y excelente foco...
saludos amigo.

  • Great 
  • jmp Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1898 W: 94 N: 2375] (8394)
  • [2007-05-08 10:51]

Hi Milos,
Excellent presentation of male and female and different poses. One can see everything here about this nice butterfly. Excellent note too.
TFS, José M.

hello milos!
great collage of this butterflys, i like colors.
tfs
zoran

  • Great 
  • ridvan Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 591 W: 0 N: 1140] (5126)
  • [2007-05-08 13:32]

selam milos ; great close up shot ,splendid colours and beautiful b.fly with well presented POV . good BG. TFS well done.
all the best ,
ridvan

  • Great 
  • Ken52 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 661 W: 98 N: 1202] (4017)
  • [2007-05-09 0:20]

Outstanding and imformative presentation! Both photos show excellent detail, beautiful colors, and perfect exposure. Well done!

Hi dear Milos ,
very nice image with amazing colours.
good idea and very well captured.
thanks for sharing my friend
Regards
Saeed

  • Great 
  • anel Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1079 W: 0 N: 1654] (7208)
  • [2007-05-09 4:04]

hello Milos,
Good idea to show male and female of this butterfly. In general we just see the male with his bright orange wingtips. But the female is beautiful too. They aren't easy to catch, you made surely the experience. Thank's and have a good day
Anne

  • Great 
  • uleko Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2297 W: 163 N: 6694] (21146)
  • [2007-05-09 4:19]

Hello Milos,
Very nice presentation of these Orange tips on their food plant. A little soft on focus but the details are clearly shown and colours natural. Well done, they're not easy to photograph!
Many thanks, Ulla

  • Great 
  • Maite Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 982 W: 64 N: 1199] (4856)
  • [2007-05-09 7:09]

Splendid composition with these two wonderful pictures of both, male and female, cardamines!
Great sharpness, exposure and natural colors.
A wonderful presentation of the species!
My compliments, Milos, and thank you very much for sharing.
Greetings
Maite

bonjour milos
deja felicitations pour avoir reussi a prendre ces deux papillon que je n'arrive pas a voir posé.
lorsqu'il sont en vol on voit bien pour le mâle le orange sur les ailes mais pas les motifs verts dessous comme ici.
le mâle me semble une OE mais la femelle elle est parfaite.
bien vu.
laurent

Hello Milos,
This is superb! I like those perspectives that allow us to see the differences between them. Details and exposure are beautiful and you caught nice poses with great colors and environment. This is an aesthetic and educative post. Thanks,
Claudine

I saw this picture yesterday, but since I had already run out of smileys, I thought I would review it today, Milos.
Your two-image collage of an Orange Tip is a veritable lesson about the taxonomy and appearance of this handsome butterfly.
The first image shows both sides of its wings clearly -- an abject demonstration for all who might get confused about the ID, especially when looking at the outer wing.
The second image does it even more forcefully; there is no orange tip to a female's inner wing, but the outer wing has a similar colour pattern.
Superbly educative and technically excellent capture.
Thanks for sharing it, my friend.

Hi Milos, some days ago I posted the same butterfly, but this one is more detailed, lovely couple of splendid sharp photos, very well done, ciao Silvio

welldone!
I love the different perspectives, great lesson in distinguishing sexes. Brilliant concept! (How come I never thought of that?! ha ha)

Depth of field is great! Wonderful vivid color.

  • Great 
  • Hil Gold Star Critiquer/Silver Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 782 W: 11 N: 1380] (4759)
  • [2007-05-10 19:52]

Hi Milos

A superb composition showing us the Male & Female Orange Tips, both shots are nicely composed with excellent POV's and poses, I really like the colours and the lighting and the details are good too. You have done well to capture these Butterflies, I only seen them for the first time this year, so far I've seen 3 but haven't managed to get a shot of one yet.

TFS Hilary :o)

  • Great 
  • OzBY Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 182 W: 2 N: 299] (1021)
  • [2007-05-11 10:40]

Hi Milos,

Very nice pictures of these two butterflies.
Both pictures are grait with good details, color, sharpness and background

Oz

bonjour
tres belle présentation, les couleurs et les d"étails sont parfaits
grosse différence entre le male et la femelle
bravo, amitiès
edith

Hola Milos,
Preciosa y muy completa al mostrarnos todos los detalles internos y externos de las alas. Saludos
José Ramón

  • Great 
  • horia Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2070 W: 214 N: 3542] (11790)
  • [2007-05-14 6:55]

Hi Milos

What a splendid presentation and lovely shots of the two sexes.
Both are very good, taken from excellent POVs and with spot-on exposures (which is difficult with such bright subjects).
The colors are also great and the details very clear and sharp.
Very well done!

Bravo and TFS
Horia

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