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πŸ¦‹ Butterflies & Moths

Large Tortoiseshell

Nymphalis polychloros

Least Concern (extinct in Britain)

About

A large orange butterfly with dark spots resembling a scaled-up small tortoiseshell, once widespread in Britain but now effectively extinct there. It hibernates as an adult in tree hollows.

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Did You Know?

Its decline in Britain is thought to be linked to Dutch elm disease destroying its primary food plant.