- Lifespan
- 10–11 months; adults can overwinter and live into the following spring
- Size & Weight
- Wingspan 52–60 mm
- Habitat
- Gardens, parks, woodland edges, and hedgerows with nettle patches; prefers sunny, sheltered locations.
- UK Distribution
- Resident throughout England, Wales, and southern Scotland; absent from far northern Scotland. Resident year-round, though numbers fluctuate seasonally.
- Diet
- Adults feed on nectar from flowering plants including teasels, thistles, and marjoram; also feed on rotting fruit and tree sap. Caterpillars feed exclusively on stinging nettles.
- Predators
- Birds (notably robins and blue tits), spiders, and small mammals; parasitic flies also attack caterpillars.
- Mating Season
- May to August, with peak activity in June and July
- Breeding
- Females lay eggs singly or in small batches on nettle leaves. Caterpillars are gregarious and develop over 4–6 weeks. Typically two broods per year; second brood emerging late summer.
- Behaviour
- Highly territorial males perch in sunny spots and chase rivals. Adults hibernate in sheds, caves, and other sheltered locations, emerging on warm winter days. The striking eyespots on hindwings are flashed as a predator-deterrent display.