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Small tortoiseshell in springtime habit

 

 

We meet these very common butterflies from early spring. The shape of the wings is rather square, white spots on the forewings, cut straight in the front. The wing undersides have a network of white veins emphasized by pretty colours: red, yellow, brown, purple ...

 

The springtime butterflies have a orange-black pattern on the top side of the wings. Their generation still flies in June. Eggs are laid on nettles – from this their Estonian name, "nettle butterfly", nõgeseliblikas. The autumn generation will be introduced in July, its members have different colours.