Third Brood Small Tortoiseshell?

[Paul Harfield]

I spotted this very young larval group today at Shipton Bellinger Would I be correct in assuming this is a third brood How often is a third brood recorded in this species? I would guess that any resulting adults would not be emerging until well into October, so what is the likelihood of them reaching adulthood? Assuming the spider does not eat them all of course. Comments please

[essexbuzzard]

Given reasonable weather,these cats should be full-grown in a month,then a couple of weeks at the chrysalis stage,emerging in the first week of October. This is still time enough to feed up before hibernation,provided there are some flowers left. I think i heard,somewhere,that if pushed,adults have just enough reserves to survive hibernation,without feeding up first.