If two females lay on the same flowerhead, one of the larvae will eat the other...
Cannibalism!
| The Orange-Tip butterfly lays its eggs singly on the flowers of its larval foodplant, Lady's Smock (sometimes called Milkmaids) |  |
 | Orange-Tip eggs are laid singly on the flower stems. At first they are yellow, but gradually change colour to a richer orange before they hatch. With sharp eyes and some patience they are quite easy to spot.
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If two larvae hatch on the same flowerhead, one will eat the other – this cannibalism is nature’s way of making sure that one healthy larva grows on each flower, not several undersized ones. The females can smell if there is an egg already on a flowerhead and look for an unoccupied one instead. |  |
 | The Large Blue is another species where there is cannibalism if more than one egg hatches on the same Thyme flower. |
The pearly blue eggs of the Large Blue stand out against the pink colour of the Thyme flowers.
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The relationship between the Large Blue Butterfly and certain species of ants is one of the strangest stories in the insect world!
To find out more about this extraordinary story go to 'The Very Strange Tale of the Large Blue Butterfly'