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π¦ 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.
Did You Know?
Its decline in Britain is thought to be linked to Dutch elm disease destroying its primary food plant.