Common brimstone vs Orange-tip

These two are easy to mix up. Here's how to tell a common brimstone from an orange-tip, and whether either one bites or stings.

≠The key differences

Brimstone has distinctly leaf-shaped wings and more yellowish tones; different wing shape and venation.

	Common brimstone	Orange-tip
To humans	Non-toxic	Non-toxic
Size	55-70 mm wingspan	45-50 mm wingspan
Colours	Lemon yellow, Pale green, Cream, Orange-brown	White, Orange, Green (mottled underside), Black (wing tips and markings)
Family	Pieridae	Pieridae
Habitat	Woodland edges, hedgerows, scrub, parks and gardens where buckthorns occur	Meadows, hedgerows, woodland edges, damp grassland, roadside verges and gardens where cruciferous plants grow
Range	Across much of Europe, North Africa and temperate Asia; common in the UK, continental Europe and parts of western Asia	Widespread across Europe into temperate parts of Asia
Active	Early spring through late summer; adults often first seen February-May and again July-September depending on region	Spring to early summer (typically April to June, varying with latitude); active during daylight, especially in sunshine
Pest?	No	No

Male bright lemon or sulphur yellow, female pale greenish-white; both have a small discal spot on each wing
Wings strongly scalloped and pointed at the tips, creating a leaf-like outline when closed
At rest the wings are held closed over the back, appearing very leaf-like and often camouflaged
Look for larvae on buckthorn (Rhamnus/Frangula) if searching for eggs or caterpillars

Male: white wings with bright orange patch at the tip of each forewing, plus black marking on the wing edge.
Female: lacks orange patch—plain white above but with similar black marginal markings; underside of hindwing mottled green in both sexes.
Wingspan about 45-50 mm; when at rest, the mottled green underside helps distinguish it from many other white butterflies.

Brimstone has distinctly leaf-shaped wings and more yellowish tones; different wing shape and venation.

Common brimstone: Non-toxic. Orange-tip: Non-toxic. Harmless to people; does not bite or sting. Harmless to people.

Identification from photos is never certain: don't handle insects you can't identify, and get medical advice for bites, stings or allergic reactions.