We take a look at the colourful insect
The small tortoiseshell butterfly is a beauty, possessing an overriding reddish-orange colouration, with black and yellow markings, and a ring of blue spots around the edges of its 4.5-6.2cm spanning wings. Young caterpillars also feature bright colours — they are black with bristles, and two striking yellow lines down their sides. Their captivating colouration warns predators that the caterpillars are poisonous, helping them to survive before transforming into a chrysalis.