Small Tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae)

Yet another busy day. Captured nothing apart from the butterflies on the Buddleia again. This time not any thing unusual in fact probably the commonest of butterflies.

Small Tortoiseshell occur through out most of the UK but there has been a decrease in the south. This is thought to be global warming allowing a parasitic fly from the continent to survive.

I find the scientific name interesting, the species name urticae seems to come from the nettle Urtica dioica which is I believe the food plant of the catterpillars.