English name:
Large Tortoiseshell
Full scientific name:
Nymphalis polychloros (Linnaeus, 1758)
Croatian name:
Smeđonoga riđa
Flight Period and Life Cycle
1 brood per year. Overwinters as imago.
Distribution in Croatia
The entire territory. Check the included map.
External Morphology Characteristics
The underside of the wings is dark brown with a bright band in the postdiscal zone. The upper side of both wings is reddish-orange with dark spots. On the upper side of the forewing, in the marginal zone, there is a broken yellowish line that stretch along the entire edge of the wing. On the upper side of the hindwing in zones S6 & S7, in addition to the larger dark spot, there is a smaller yellowish spot.
Behavior
It often feeds on juices on the ground and rarely on the nectar of flowers.
Caterpillar Host Plants
Families Salicaceae, Ulmaceae and Rosaceae.
Habitat
Edges of woodlands and woodland clearances. More common near water streams. Elevations: 0-1300m.