Small Tortoiseshell

Wingspan 40-52 mm. Denmark’s national butterfly. Flies from March to October. Overwinters as an adult in hollow trees, sheds and the like. Emerges in March and gives rise to 1–2 new generationsgeneration A butterfly flies in 2 generations when the year’s first newly emerged adults (1st generation) bring a new “brood” (“children”) capable of flight into the world in the same year. With 3 generations there are “grandchildren” as well in the same year. The number of generations determines in how many months of the year we can see the butterfly.×, which fly from late June to October before going into hibernation. A colourful and common butterfly, seen both on the dike and in the plantation. On the dike it is particularly fond of Field Scabious, and in the plantation of Thistles and Hemp-agrimony. The eggs are laid in May on Nettles in woodland clearings.