Today was a blade quenching day because according to the weather forecast, it might have been the only sunny day in a while. Luckily, I have managed to finish a batch of 8 blades to a sufficient state for hardening so I set out to do it first thing in the morning. And when I was taking fireclay bricks – not for fireplace, just to hold the quenching oil receptacle upright and steady – this fellow was hiding from yesterdays deluge in a crack. It got lucky I did not squish it flat when taking the bricks.
When I put it in the sun, it has spread its wings, soaked in some warmth, and buggered off pronto so I only managed to snap one picture with my phone. But it came out quite well, I think.
© Charly, all rights reserved. Click for full size.
It is small tortoiseshell Aglais urticae. These beauties justify the existence of stinging nettles.
What a beautiful surprise.
It’s an ubiquitous beauty here, the best consequence of people peeing outdoors while drunk (which makes nettles grow and thus feeds the larvae of these critters).
Such a beaut’!
I so love them. I love butterflies in general and yes, I will accept caterpillars as a necessary step towards them.