Small Tortoiseshell
Encyclopedia
The Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) is a well-known colourful butterfly
.
which, however, are believed to have arrived human-assisted.
The Corsican Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais (urticae) ichnusa) looks very similar; whether it is a subspecies
or a distinct species is yet to be determined.
s feed on stinging nettle
s, 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.
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.
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
.
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 CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
which, however, are believed to have arrived human-assisted.
Subspecies
- A. u. urticae (Linnaeus, 1758) Europe, W.Siberia - Altai
- A. u. polaris (StaudingerOtto StaudingerOtto Staudinger was a German entomologist and a natural history dealer considered one of the largest in the world specialising in the collection and sale of insects to museums, scientific institutions, and individuals....
, 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 LeechWilliam Elford LeachWilliam Elford Leach FRS was an English zoologist and marine biologist.Leach was born at Hoe Gate, Plymouth, the son of a solicitor. At the age of twelve he went to school in Exeter, studying anatomy and chemistry. By this time he was already collecting marine samples from Plymouth Sound and along...
, 1893 - A. u. chinensis Leech, 1893 China Japan Korea
- A. u. connexa (ButlerArthur Gardiner ButlerArthur Gardiner Butler was an English entomologist, arachnologist and ornithologist...
, [1882]) South Ussuri, South Sakhalin, Kuriles, Japan
The Corsican Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais (urticae) ichnusa) looks very similar; whether it is a subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
or a distinct species is yet to be determined.
United Kingdom and Ireland
This is a species often found in gardens. The caterpillarCaterpillar
Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture...
s feed on stinging nettle
Stinging nettle
Stinging nettle or common nettle, Urtica dioica, is a herbaceous perennial flowering plant, native to Europe, Asia, northern Africa, and North America, and is the best-known member of the nettle genus Urtica...
s, as do those of several Nymphalidae
Nymphalidae
The Nymphalidae is a family of about 5,000 species of butterflies which are distributed throughout most of the world. These are usually medium sized to large butterflies. Most species have a reduced pair of forelegs and many hold their colourful wings flat when resting. They are also called...
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.
The butterfly is abundant in most areas of the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. However numbers often vary yearly. Its commonness may often depend on the status of the common wasp
Common wasp
The common wasp, Vespula vulgaris, known in the US as the yellowjacket, is found in much of the Northern Hemisphere and has been introduced to Australia and New Zealand. It is a eusocial vespid which builds its grey paper nest in or on a structure capable of supporting it...
in that particular season, since the wasp is known to feed on the Tortoiseshell's pupae.