Metamorphosis of a Butterfly

2024-05-12 · edited 2026-08-30

European peacock = Aglais io

Kleiner Fuchs = small tortoiseshell = Aglais urticae

Common nettle = Urtica dioica

Throughout spring and summer I like to look out for caterpillars whenever I see a plot with stinging nettles or shrubs I know serves as food for them.

Here are the parts of a butterfly‘s metamorphis I have managed to get on camera. My captures of larvae and pupae are all from the European peacock (Aglais io) and small tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae). They both lay there eggs on stinging nettles (Urtica dioica) – also reflected beautifully in the small tortoiseshell‘s latin name.

Eggs

They are very commonly found underneath stinging nettle leaves.

Caterpillars

Those are probably the easiest to find besides the adult butterflies. Beautiful dark larvae of the peacock butterfly or black with bright yellow spots.

An interesting thing I have noticed the larvae do is build little shelters by using their threads to glue nettle leaves together.

Pupae

Pupae are very hard to find. I assume this a good thing, since they are completely defenceless during this stage in their lives. I managed to find some pupae by looking out for very large larvae and then come back every day to the spot I saw them last and looking very closely.

I have even managed to record a peacock larvae transitioning to its pupae.

At the time of writing I still have not seen the hatching of a butterfly.

Butterflies

Butterflies are easy to find, as you might know. However, actually capturing them on camera… not so easy!

My trick is to take an image from like 2 metres away and then take images every now and then before moving closer very slowly, increasing photo frequency and changing focus more often the closer I get. This way I have an image, even if the butterfly does not allow me to get close enough for the perfect shot. Slowly coming nearer does work like every other time, so it is manageable with a bit of patience.

Here is a collection of my best shots so far.