Photo © by Milan Djuric, taken at Mt. Visitor, in Montenegro.

Nettle tree butterfly

 (Libythea celtis Laicharting, 1782)

Family: Libytheidae

Description: The Nettle-Tree Butterfly is the only representative of his family in Europe. One of its main distinguishing marks is the long sensory organs located on the front of the head (the palpi). The uppersides of the wings of this small butterfly are dark brown, with bright orange dots.

Photo © by Norbert Ulmann, taken in Greece

Photo © by Mark Ogden, taken in Bulgaria in 2005.

Size: 34-44mm
Altitude: 400-1500m

Flight period:  Late June to August, March after hibernation. Two broods all the months of the year, with hibernation.

Larval host plants: Celtis australis, the Nettle / Hackberry tree.

This unusual species is the only representative of the Libytheidae or Snouts in Europe. The particular specimen was photographed in Mt. Visitor, in Montenegro.

Sources:

• https://www.geocities.com/europeanbutterflies/English/celtis.htm © All rights reserved
• https://www.butterfly-guide.co.uk/species/libytheidae/celtis.htm © All rights reserved