1000 David Attenboroughs – Week 8

Butterfly Lifecycle and Be Nice to Nettles!

Find a patch of nettles that are in the sun.

Look at them carefully. Are there holes in the leaves made by a very hungry caterpillar? Are there any nettle leaves that have been made into a tent? See photos. Inside the tent are Red Admiral caterpillars. They make a tent to hide from the birds, then eat their way out of it!

You may find lots of little caterpillars all together protected by a silk web. These will be either Peacock or Tortoiseshell. Many thanks to Phil Rigby for the photo.

Don’t touch them as nettles sting.

Peacock, Tortoiseshell and Red Admiral caterpillars all need nettles (in the sun) so make sure you are Nice to Nettles and leave some in your garden, yard and green spaces.

https://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/species.php?species=atalanta

https://bugwomanlondon.com/2017/02/08/wednesday-weed-stinging-nettle-part-two/

https://scottishwildlifetrust.org.uk/2019/05/be-nice-to-nettles/

_{Feature pic of lioness and cubs “Cottars3” by Sam.Romilly, licensed under CC BY 2.0 CC}