Weed of the Week Nettles The Ecology of Nettles

 ECOLOGY OF STINGING NETTLES

Urtica dioica the stinging nettles with its stems and leaves densely   covered with stinging hairs, which release potential pain-inducing toxins   when brushing contact is made with them, is rarely eaten by rabbits. However nettle seeds have been found in cow dung so are eaten by cattle. Nettles have a higher nutritional value than the fodder crops amongst which they thrive. Nettles contain 5 times the copper and 1.5 times the iron content of fodder grasses   and when dried may be consumed by cattle without ill effects. They are palatable   to some species of snail (Salisbury 1961). The stings offer little defence against caterpillars. Up to 31 species of Lepidoptera butterflies and moths   feed on stinging nettles, of which the adults of 4 species and 31 larvae feed   (Davis 1991). Urtica dioica is the food plant of the larvae of a  number of attractive butterflies and other phytophagous insects. Nettles are home to a lot of butterflies like the   Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta, Small Tortoiseshell Aglais urticae,   Peacock butterfly Inchis io and the Comma butterfly Polygonia   c-album. They use the nettle to lay their eggs on and when the larva   hatch they feed on the nettles. Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta                                                                            Small Tortoiseshell Aglais urticae           Peacock butterfly Inchis io           Comma butterfly Polygonia c-album. Some moths also use the nettle patch to lay their eggs or feed, they include   the Burnished Brass moth Diachrysia chrysitis, Snout Hypena proboscidalis, on   left and Small Magpie Moth Pleuroptya   ruralis,          Cream spot tiger Arctica   villica, and Scarlet Tiger Callimorpha  claminula, in the picture           Garden tiger caterpillar Arctica   caja,        Buff ermine Spilosoma luteum,  in the picture  and Silver Y Autographa pulchrina,             Angle shades Phlogophora meticulosa, and on the   right The Spectacle Abrostola triplasia,           Beautiful Golden Y Autographa pulchrina, Nettle Top moth Anthophila   fabricana and the Mother of Pearl moth Pleuroptya ruralis  pictured below(Davis 1991).      (These images were produced by   the British Moth Project, FLIKR and various universities Thank-you for   letting me use these images) The larvae of all of these   species have been reported feeding on nettle foliage. In addition spiders,   harvestmen, woodlice and snails feed on nettle plants.

Jumping Plant Lice Trioza urticae use the nettle to lay theirs   eggs, where they create a gall (an abnormal growth produced by the plant or   other host which causes an enlargement on the plant that provides food and   shelter for the host.) Jumping Plant Lice Some insects like the Nettle Weevil Phyllobius pomaceus, the   Small Nettle Weevil Cidnorhinus quadrimaculatus, the Small Green   Nettle Weevil Phyllobius roboretanus and the Green Nettle Weevil Phyollobius   viridaeris only live in nettle patches. From left to right The Nettle Weevil, Small Nettle Weevil The small Green Nettle Weevil  pictured below and Green Nettle Weevil

Nettle Aphids Microolophium carnosum and Aphis urticata   also live on nettles where ladybirds go to feed on them. Ants can be found   protecting and herding aphids for the sweet nectar they secrete. Leaf-Mining   Flies Agromyza anthracina; Agromyza pseudoreptans and Agromyza   reptans use nettles for food by burrowing between the leaves. Nettle Aphids  Aphis urticata      Many birds like the coal tit, blue tit, siskin, reed bunting and   bullfinch are attracted to nettles for the seeds and insects. The work of the Nettle Leaf Miner