Orange Tip tipoff

The Orange Tip butterfly, Anthocharis cardamines, is a familiar spring species across Europe. The eponymous orange wingtips are present only in the males, but both male and female have a green mottled pattern on the underside of the wings, which helps with camouflage when they’re at rest. Male Orange Tip butterfly, a master of sexual chemistry When they’re not at rest, there’s some a surprisingly sophisticated bit of chemistry going on during mating. The male passes not only sperm to the female for the fertilisation of her eggs but also a chemical cocktail that acts as an anti-aphrodisiac to other males that might try to mate with her subsequently. When another male approaches the mated female, he detects the pheromone cocktail from the first male and abandons his pursuit, avoiding wasted time and effort. From the first male’s perspective, this increases the likelihood that his genes are passed on without competition. The exact chemical composition of this cocktail has not been fully…