Habitat: Mainly damp areas such as marshes, hay meadows and forest edges, as well as grasslands, gardens, parks and heaths.

Appearance: Large parts of Europe, including the Mediterranean islands of Corsica, Elba, Corfu, Thasos and Lesbos. More localised in southern Spain and southern Greece. Absent from Sardinia and the Shetland Islands. A very common butterfly in Belgium and the Netherlands.

Flying time: Three generations, early April – early June – late June – September. Second and third generations overlap.

Characteristics: Wingspan 35 – 45 mm.

Life cycle: Host plants are Mayflower (Cardamine pratensis), Large bittercress (Cardamine amara), wild mustard (Mutarda arvensis), etc. The female lays her eggs one by one or in small groups on the underside of the leaves of the host plant. The caterpillars live very hidden and are difficult to find because of their camouflage colouring. The species overwinters as a pupa. The butterfly sucks nectar from various flowers such as Mayflower (Cardamine pratensis), Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla), etc.