Small Tortoiseshell

Habitat: All kinds of places where sufficient nectar can be found, such as gardens, parks, forest edges, scrubland, dykes and verges.

Distribution: Common throughout Europe. Absent from Atlantic islands, North-West Africa and Mediterranean islands, except Sicily.

Flying time: One to two or three generations. February to October.

Characteristics: Wingspan 42-50 mm.

Life cycle: Host plant is the Common nettle (Urtica dioica). The female usually lays her eggs in large groups on the underside of the leaves of the Common nettle in April. The caterpillars spin a communal web over the host plant. The caterpillars pupate on plant stems or walls. The butterflies usually drink nectar from the first spring flowers such as Butterburs and Ficaria. It overwinters as a butterfly, often in barns, houses, trees, etc.