Aglais urticae

About this butterfly

The Small Tortoiseshell is an orange butterfly with black markings and a row of blue spots along the wing edge. Adults overwinter in sheds, attics and hollow trees. They visit gardens and countryside flowers through the warmer months. Eggs are laid in batches on Common Nettle. The species is still widespread in much of Europe. In Britain, however, abundance has fallen sharply, by about four fifths in long-term counts, even though it is not a rare insect. Several broods can occur in a good year. Dark undersides hide hibernating adults. Nectar from willows in spring and from autumn composites helps the winter generation. Recent declines deserve mention without calling the butterfly rare.