The Living Forest (72) : Small Tortoiseshell

The Small Tortoiseshell is a real little beauty with a wonderful patterning.

The species is usually around from march to october and has 2 to 3 broods in a year.
However, this butterfly shows great fluctuations from year to year because its presence depends on the status of the Common Wasp in that particular period, as the Wasp is known to feed on the Tortoiseshell's pupae.

Dutch name : Kleine Vos
German name : Kleiner Fuchs
Latin name : Aglais urticae