---
title: "Rusałka pokrzywnik"
description: "Aglais urticae — Owady i pająki. The small tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) is a colourful Eurasian butterfly in the family Nymphalidae."
canonical: https://animalchecklist.com/pl/animal/small-tortoiseshell
last_updated: 2026-09-20
---

# Rusałka pokrzywnik

> Aglais urticae — Owady i pająki. The small tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) is a colourful Eurasian butterfly in the family Nymphalidae.

- Scientific name: *Aglais urticae*
- Category: `insects` (Owady i pająki)
- Habitats: `urban` (Miasta i ogrody)
- iNaturalist observations: 92957
- Wikidata: [Q157609](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q157609)
- iNaturalist taxon: [54468](https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/54468)

## Names

- en: Small Tortoiseshell
- de: Kleiner Fuchs
- es: Mariposa de la Ortiga
- fr: Petite tortue
- nl: Kleine vos
- pl: Rusałka pokrzywnik

## Countries with the most observations

GB (18862), RU (11068), DE (8909), DK (7971), IT (5248), FR (4845), AT (4789), FI (4602), CH (2782), SE (2206), CZ (2135), ES (1881)

## Summary

The small tortoiseshell (Aglais urticae) is a colourful Eurasian butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. Adults feed on nectar and may hibernate over winter; in warmer climates they may have two broods in a season. While the dorsal surface of the wings is vividly marked, the ventral surface is drab, providing camouflage. Eggs are laid on the common nettle, on which the larvae feed.

Text: Wikipedia (en), CC BY-SA 4.0 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Small_tortoiseshell

## Photo

![Rusałka pokrzywnik](https://animalchecklist.com/img/animals/small-tortoiseshell/medium.jpg)

Photo: Gregory Wheeler · CC0 · inaturalist — https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/344423451

## Machine access

`GET https://animalchecklist.com/api/v1/animals/small-tortoiseshell?lang=pl` — see [openapi.json](https://animalchecklist.com/openapi.json).