Tortoiseshell - a touch of spring
Photo: Arne Ader
Translation: Liis
Small tortoiseshell
| Small tortoiseshell | Koerliblikas or väike-koerliblikas |
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The offspring of the small tortoiseshells that spent the winter as butterflies, and then predicted us a “colourful summer“ in early spring can now be seen in large numbers. It is one of the most common butterflies both in Estonia and in Europe.
The newly-hatched butterflies are of course more colourful than those who survived the winter as imagos somewhere. The yellow patches on the forewings are brighter now; on the winterers the yellow has faded to almost white. Now a couple of generations will still flitter around until late autumn, when the last ones search for a suitable wintering spot.
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