Small tortoiseshell

Aglais urticae

About

The Small tortoiseshell, or Aglais urticae, is one of the most common daytime butterflies. Its wingspan is about 5 cm. The wings are brick-red; along the front edge, there are alternating black and yellow spots, a white dot near the tip, and a row of blue crescents with a dark border along the edges of both pairs of wings. The underside is dark brown and inconspicuous.

In the Carpathians, the Small tortoiseshell can be seen everywhere: in gardens and fields, on meadows, forest clearings, near Kolibas and on polonynas up to the subalpine zone. In summer, the butterflies ascend high into the mountains and feed on the flowers of thyme, sow thistles, and arnica.

The adult insect hibernates. In autumn, Small tortoiseshells hide in attics, barns, woodpiles, caves, and hollows, and on the first warm days, sometimes as early as February or March, they emerge. If you find a sleepy butterfly in your house during winter, move it to a cool, unheated room: in warmth, it will quickly exhaust itself.

The caterpillars are black with yellow longitudinal stripes and spines, living communally in a web nest on stinging nettle. Usually, there are two generations per year.

Lookalikes include the Comma butterfly (Polygonia c-album) with notched wing edges and the rarer Meadow brown (Maniola jurtina), which is larger, duller, and lacks the white dot near the tip of the wing.

Where in the Carpathians

fewermore319 records in the Carpathians

The map shows where naturalists recorded the species (GBIF, CC0 and CC BY records), not every place it lives. The Ukrainian Carpathians are less studied, so a blank area does not mean the species is absent.

Countries: Romania · Hungary · Slovakia · Ukraine · Austria · Poland · Czechia
Mountain ranges: High Tatras, Mátra, Bihor-Vlădeasa Mountains, Bucegi Mountains, Lesser Fatra, Bükk, Skole Beskids, Maramureș Mountains, Slovak Central Mountains, Börzsöny and Cserhát
Altitude belts: Foothills (below 600 m) · Beech forests (600–1200 m)

When to see it

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Sightings

From naturalists’ observations in the Carpathians (iNaturalist, research grade): the darker the cell, the more often the species is seen that month.

Protection and rules

Not listed in the Red Book of Ukraine.

FAQ

Where does the Small tortoiseshell hibernate?

The adult butterfly hibernates in attics, barns, woodpiles, caves, and hollows. It emerges on the first warm days at the end of winter.

What to do with a butterfly that has awakened in the house during winter?

Carefully move it to a cool, unheated room — to the attic or pantry. In warmth, it will use up its reserves and die by spring.

Similar species

European peacockAglais ioA bright butterfly with four 'eyes' on its wings. It hibernates as an adult, so it flies as early as spring; the caterpillar lives on nettles.

CommaPolygonia c-albumA reddish butterfly with deeply notched wings and a white letter 'C' on the underside. Common in the edges of forests and along forest roads in the Carpathians.

Red admiralVanessa atalantaA black butterfly with red bands and white spots. Traveler: it arrives in the Carpathians from the south every year.

Where to meet it

Trails and peaks near which naturalists recorded the species (GBIF, iNaturalist), matched by altitude and habitat. Sightings are not guaranteed.

Sources

GBIF · iNaturalist · Wikidata · Distribution data: GBIF.org (CC0 and CC BY records), iNaturalist; names and identifiers: Wikidata (CC0). Text: Karpaty.rocks, checked 11.11.2026.