Small Tortoiseshell

Small Tortoiseshell
Small Tortoiseshell
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Genus: Aglais
Species: A. urticae
Binomial name
Aglais urticae
(Linnaeus, 1758)
Synonyms

Nymphalis urticae
Vanessa urticae

The Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) is a well-known colourful butterfly.

Contents

Range

It is found in temperate Europe, Asia Minor, Central Asia, Siberia, China, Mongolia, Korea and Japan. There are a few records from New York City which, however, are believed to have arrived human-assisted.

Subspecies

  • A. u. urticae (Linnaeus, 1758) Europe, W.Siberia - Altai
  • A. u. polaris (Staudinger, 1871) North Europe, Siberia, Russian Far East
  • A. u. turcica (Staudinger, 1871) South Europe, Caucasus, Transcaucasia, Kopet Dagh, Middle Asia
  • A. u. baicalensis (Kleinschmidt, 1929) Sayan, Transbaikalia
  • A. u. eximia (Sheljuzhko, 1919) Amur, Ussuri
  • A. u. stoetzneri (Kleinschmidt, 1929) Szechuan
  • A. u. kansuensis (Kleinschmidt, 1940) North-West China
  • A. u. chinensis Leech, 1893
  • A. u. chinensis Leech, 1893 China Japan Korea
  • A. u. connexa (Butler, [1882]) South Ussuri, South Sakhalin, Kuriles, Japan

The Corsican Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais (urticae) ichnusa) looks very similar; whether it is a subspecies or a distinct species is yet to be determined.

United Kingdom and Ireland

This is a species often found in gardens. The caterpillars feed on stinging 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 colours. This can frighten away young or inexperienced birds.[1]

The butterfly is abundant in most areas of the United Kingdom and Ireland. However numbers often vary yearly. Its commonness may often depend on the status of the common wasp in that particular season, since the wasp is known to feed on the Tortoiseshell's pupae.

Life cycle

  • Young caterpillars live in groups

  • Older caterpillars are solitary

  • Chrysalis shortly before hatching

  • Underside of wings

  • Small Tortoiseshell during oviposition

References

  1. ^ Martin Stevens (2005). "The role of eyespots as anti-predator mechanisms, principally demonstrated in the Lepidoptera". Biological Reviews 80 (4): 573–588. doi:10.1017/S1464793105006810. PMID 16221330. 


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