- Lifespan
- 10–12 months in the wild, with individuals overwintering as adults
- Size & Weight
- Wingspan 47–50 mm
- Habitat
- Gardens, parks, woodland edges, and disturbed areas with nettles; often seen in urban and suburban environments across the UK.
- UK Distribution
- Found throughout England, Wales, and southern Scotland; resident populations supplemented by migratory individuals from continental Europe in spring and autumn.
- Diet
- Adults feed on rotting fruit, tree sap, bird droppings, and occasionally nectar from flowers such as teasels and thistles.
- Predators
- Birds (particularly robins and wrens), spiders, and parasitic wasps targeting eggs and larvae.
- Mating Season
- May to September, with peak activity in summer
- Breeding
- Females lay eggs singly on nettle leaves (mainly Common and Small Nettles); larvae are solitary and spiny; typically 2–3 broods per year in the UK, with overwinter generation emerging in spring.
- Behaviour
- Highly territorial males perch on prominent spots and chase rival males and other insects; readily visit gardens and are attracted to overripe fruit. Adults are rapid, powerful fliers with a distinctive jerky flight pattern and often return to favoured perches.