Orange-tip Butterfly

by Lyle Tayson

Title

Orange-tip Butterfly

Artist

Lyle Tayson

Medium

Painting - Mixed Media On Cold Press Illustration Board

Description

The Orange-tip Butterfly belongs to a larger family of butterflies, known as the Pieridae, one of the biggest. This family, known as the Sulphurs and Whites, is responsible for the name butterfly, because some of its members found in Europe are the color of yellow butter. Most Pieridae are orange, yellow or white and have uncomplicated patterns. This particular butterfly, the Orange-tip (Anthocaris midea), is nearly always found in open pine-oak or oak-hickory woodlands of the eastern United States from central Massachusetts southward to coastal Georgia and westward to northeastern Texas, Arkansas, Kansas and Illinois. Sometimes great numbers of these butterflies collect at the top of hills or mountains. The flight of the adult is low, slow, and erratic and like other woodland butterflies, it is seen in flight mostly on cloudy days. The Orange-tip feeds on plants, the rock-cress, bitter-cress, mouse-ear-cress, and shepherd's purse. The larvae eat only the flowers, buds, and immature seed pods of these plants. The gender is indicated by dark spots which appear only on the wings of the male. The problem of finding and identifying a mate of the same species from among the many similar butterflies, moths, and even plant leaves is a huge task which would tax an electronic computer. Yet this insect's tiny brain is programmed to solve this problem without training.

Please note the "Fine Art America" watermark will not appear on the painting or any print reproduction.

Artwork Copyright © 1977 Wind River Studios Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved under United States and international copyright laws. You may not reproduce, distribute, transmit, or otherwise exploit the Artwork in any way. Any sale of the physical original does not include or convey the Copyright or any right comprised in the Copyright. WRSH Stock Number XB05115

Uploaded

April 11th, 2022

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