Wildlife Wildlife

Only white butterfly truly resident in Park’s grassland though very common immed- Female markings along the veins of its iately outside its walls, Orange-tip underwing, with a more or less Text and photos by Piers Eley presumably because it is a yellowish background colour. favourite snack for the deer. So, The Small White has a stronger Green-veined Whites while Orange-tips breed along yellow background, often with a mating in Richmond Park the river and along the outside dusting of grey on top, but no edges of the Park, I have yet to colouration of the veins and no find them breeding in the Park hatch-marks. and, if they do, it will almost Both the Small White and the certainly be along one of these Green-veined White Large White, which is similar but edges or inside an enclosure, much larger, are strong, fast where it is safe from the deer! fliers that one sees flying rapidly Cuckoo Flower or Lady’s Smock, across the Park, from one on the other hand, is the pretty vegetable garden to another, pinky-white flower that you will with only a very occasional stop see in small quantities beside Small White to sup nectar from some flower every pond and ditch in the Park, — brambles are a favourite. ideally placed for the Green- The Green-veined White by veined White, which likes a damp contrast has a weaker more environment. The Green-veined fluttering flight and, especially in The Green-veined White, Artogeia napi, is the White also lays its eggs on the Male Orange-tip the case of the female, is only member of the family of white related Wavy Bittercress (Card- constantly stopping to invest- butterflies, the Pieridae, that is truly resident amine flexuosa) which is a common plant in igate the plants over which it is passing, in in the acid grassland of Richmond Park and, the same damp areas of the Park. as such, deserves to be better known. It is a search of suitable hosts for its eggs, which are quite small, beautifully marked white The easiest way to distinguish between these laid singly. It is one of our earlier butterflies, butterfly, not quite as large as the smaller of two small white butterflies, and the Small with the first brood emerging from our two “Cabbage Whites”: the Small White, White itself, is by looking at their underwings. hibernating chrysalises in April and May. The Artogeia rapae; but larger than the more The underside of the Orange-tip’s wings has a eggs laid by this brood form thin-shelled dramatically marked Orange-tip Anthocharis complicated pattern of green hatching, with chrysalises, not designed to over-winter, from cardamines, to which it is closely related. an orange overtone. The Green-veined White which the second brood will emerge in Both of these are also regular visitors here. (above centre), has smoky black or dark-green July/August. Orange-tips strongly favour Garlic Mustard It is of course only the male Orange-tip that Look out for these beautiful butterflies in the (Alliaria petiolata), while Green-veined sports the striking orange tips to its wings damper shaded areas along the edges of Whites prefer Cuckoo Flower/Lady’s Smock that give it its name. The topside of the grass and woodlands and along stream-beds. (Cardamine pratensis). Garlic Mustard, which female Orange-tip’s wings are almost pure On the left, as a farewell gesture, is a is also a preferred source of nectar for the white, very like the wings of the male Green- photograph I took in early May of a newly- Orange-tip buterfly, is a rarity in the Park, veined White, but with larger and more emerged male Green-veined White on a distinct black markings. Dandelion by Conduit Stream in the North West corner of the Park. Good Hunting! On the right are a female Orange-tip and a Piers Eley male Green-veined White. It is not surprising Chairman, Richmond Park Wildlife Group that these butterflies are so similar, as the Chairman, Butterfly Recording Group caterpillars of both species live on Crucifers, Male Green-veined White plants related to Water-cress. In our area, Female Orange-tip Male Green-veined White 8 9