All Topics  
Small Tortoiseshell

 
Small Tortoiseshell

 
   Email Print
   Bookmark   Link
 

 

Small Tortoiseshell
 
 
  Topics Small Tortoiseshell Topic Home

The Small Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis urticae) is a well-known colourful butterfly
Butterfly

A butterfly is an insect of the Order Lepidoptera. Like all Lepidoptera, butterflies are notable for their unusual Biological life cycle with a larval caterpillar stage, an inactive pupal stage, and a spectacular metamorphosis into a familiar and colourful winged adult form....
, found in temperate Europe
Europe

Europe is, conventionally, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural , the Caspian Sea, and by the Caucasus Mountains to the southeast....
. There are a few records from New York City
New York City

The City of New York is the List of United States cities by population in the United States, while the New York metropolitan area ranks among the List of urban areas by population....
 which, however, are believed to have arrived human-assisted.

This is a species often found in gardens. The caterpillar
Caterpillar

Caterpillars are the larval form of a member of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly phytophagous in food habit, with some species being entomophagous....
s feed on nettles, as do those of several Nymphalidae butterflies.

The adult is striking, with its dark body and red and yellow wings, which have a row of blue dots around the rear edge.






Discussion
Ask a question about 'Small Tortoiseshell'
Start a new discussion about 'Small Tortoiseshell'
Answer questions from other users
Full Discussion Forum



Encyclopedia


The Small Tortoiseshell (Nymphalis urticae) is a well-known colourful butterfly
Butterfly

A butterfly is an insect of the Order Lepidoptera. Like all Lepidoptera, butterflies are notable for their unusual Biological life cycle with a larval caterpillar stage, an inactive pupal stage, and a spectacular metamorphosis into a familiar and colourful winged adult form....
, found in temperate Europe
Europe

Europe is, conventionally, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally divided from Asia to its east by the water divide of the Ural Mountains, the Ural , the Caspian Sea, and by the Caucasus Mountains to the southeast....
. There are a few records from New York City
New York City

The City of New York is the List of United States cities by population in the United States, while the New York metropolitan area ranks among the List of urban areas by population....
 which, however, are believed to have arrived human-assisted.

This is a species often found in gardens. The caterpillar
Caterpillar

Caterpillars are the larval form of a member of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly phytophagous in food habit, with some species being entomophagous....
s feed on nettles, as do those of several Nymphalidae butterflies.

The adult is striking, with its dark body and red and yellow wings, which have a row of blue dots around the rear edge. However, the underwings are dull, which helps to conceal stationary or hibernating individuals. When threatened, resting individuals rapidly open their wings, presenting the dramatic display of colors. This can frighten away young or inexperienced birds (Stevens 2005).

The butterfly is abundant in most areas of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
 and Ireland
Ireland

Ireland is the List of islands by area in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islet....
. However, its availability often varies yearly. Its commonness may often depend on the status of the common wasp
Common wasp

The common wasp, Vespula vulgaris, is a wasp found in much of the Northern Hemisphere, and introduced to Australia and New Zealand. It is a eusocial vespid, which builds its grey paper nest underground, often using an abandoned mammal hole as a start for the site, which is then enlarged by the workers....
 in that particular season, as the wasp is known to feed on the Tortoiseshell's pupae.

The Corsican Small Tortoiseshell Nymphalis (urticae) ichnusa looks very similar; whether it is a subspecies
Subspecies

In biology, subspecies is the taxonomic rank immediately subordinate to a species. A subspecies is a taxonomic group which is less distinct than the Common descent or species from which it originates....
 or a distinct species is yet to be determined.

Gallery

Image:Aglais urticae02.jpg|Young caterpillars live in groups Image:IMG 0368 caterpillar.jpg|Older caterpillars are solitary Image:Hallo, bald bin ich da (Aglais urticae).jpg|Chrysalis shortly before hatching Image:Aglais urticae-02 (xndr).jpg|Underside of wings Image:Small tortoiseshell.JPG|Side view, proboscis visible Image:Schmetterling 1a neucc.jpg|