Milbert's Tortoiseshell, Immatures - Nymphalis milberti

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  ADULT BUTTERFLY     EMERGENCE

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These caterpillars silk the leaf together to form a nest





Larvae on Stinging Nettle located  21 July 2009 - Guardsman Pass, Big Cottonwood Canyon, Salt lake County, Utah


Larva found July 6, 2006 on Stinging Nettle - By Donut Falls turnoff -  Big Cottonwood Canyon, Salt Lake County, Utah



Larvae found  May 20, 2007 -  Spanish Fork, Utah County, Utah



Pre Pupa

Pupa Development

Pupa #2 formed May 25, 2007	Pupa #4 formed May 31, 2007 - Photo June 7, 2007
Pupa #4 - lateral -  formed May 31, 2007 - photo 8:17 A.M. June 8, 2007 About 45 minutes before butterfly emerged	Pupa #4 - ventral-  formed May 31, 2007 - photo 8:17 A.M. June 8, 2007 About 45 minutes before butterfly emerged

Pupa from Larvae collected  July 6, 2006 -By Donut Falls turnoff -  Big Cottonwood Canyon, Salt Lake County, Utah
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                                 Pupa

Photo Details - ©Nicky Davis Ova I have not seen the eggs, but they are said to be pale green and laid in clusters numbered in the hundreds. ( Scott of "The Butterflies of North America"  says up to 713) Larvae Two photos of the nests that these larvae make Larvae found 21 July 2009 on Stinging Nettle - Guardsman Pass - Big Cottonwood Canyon, Salt Lake County, Utah Larvae found July 6, 2006 on Stinging Nettle - By Donut Falls turnoff -  Big Cottonwood Canyon, Salt Lake County, Utah Larvae found May 20, 2007 on Stinging Nettle in a field in Spanish Fork, Utah County, Utah. Larvae 5th instar photos.  The milberti caterpillars prefer to rest and feed together particularly the young ones. If you set them on a fresh plant and separate them, they will soon move back together and make a new nest by silking the two outer sides of a the leaf together or by silking two leaves together.  The leaf then looks rolled up. These larvae walked off the plant rather than making a "J" on the plant (as I expected) so I put them into a pupating jar where they made a "J" then turned into pupae. The head and segment #1 have no spines but do have some hairs. Pre-Pupa Larva #2  formed a "J" on the Stinging Nettle stem May 24, 2007. Pupa from the larvae located in Spanish For, Utah County, Utah Photos of #4 pupa The adult emerged after 8 days Pupa from the larvae located by Donut Falls turnoff in Big Cottonwood Canyon, Salt Lake County, Utah July 15, 2006 1. , 2., 3.  This pupa has a beautiful, polished metallic sheen. Three views of the pupa after hardening for 2 days. Host Plant For photos of host plant eaten by larvae,  click  STINGING NETTLE Back to Top