Small tortoiseshell, Aglais urticae
Small Tortoiseshell, Aglais urticae © Walwyn, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic
Small tortoiseshell males and females look very similar. They both have a recognizable strip of black, yellow, and white in an alternating pattern on the upperside of their wings. The underside is usually a dark shade of brown that allows for good camouflage. Females lay their eggs on nettle which later becomes the principal food source for the developing caterpillars. Unfortunately, this is an increasingly rare species. Wingspan 45-62 mm.
