Small Tortoiseshell Caterpillar

Meadows, gardens, and waste ground where stinging nettles (Urtica dioica) grow.

Larvae feed almost exclusively on stinging nettles (Urtica dioica). Adults feed on nectar from flowers like thistles and buddleia.

Young caterpillars live communally in silk nests for protection; older larvae become solitary. They go through five larval stages before pupating.

Non-toxic and harmless to humans. They are beneficial pollinators as adults and serve as an important food source for birds and parasitic wasps.