Let Mémé grow in the nettles
Summer is coming to an end, it’s back to school! José, our faithful Pigeon-Reporter, has an appointment at the back of a garden, near a compost heap, to meet his source. .. a certain Mémé.
[José Pigeon-Reporter] : But who could have arranged to meet me in such a place? It smells like compost here!
[Mémé, caterpillar in transition] :
Psst! Over here.
[José Pigeon-Reporter] : Wh-Wh-Who’s ta… talking to me!?
[Mémé, caterpillar in transition] :
Over here, you fool! Right in front of you, on the nettle.
[José Pigeon-Reporter] : Whoa, what is this hairy thing? It stings, doesn’t it?
[Mémé, caterpillar in transition] :
Hey, easy there, amigo, I’m Mémé. I am a Peacock butterfly caterpillar. And the last time I stung someone was back when… Fernand and I met at the Ecaussines Matrimonial Tea Party….
[José Pigeon-Reporter] : … Hmm! Yes, okay, thanks for the explanation. What are you doing here, Mémé? Right in the middle of the nettles, when all around us there are much more welcoming trees and flowers, aren’t there?
[Mémé, caterpillar in transition] :
Listen, José, the nettle is my home, you see. There are quite a few of them, and since they are appreciated by many, we often find ourselves lodging near a compost heap at the last minute. Look around us, nettles can be found near piles of stones, at the back of gardens, behind a shelter, near a pile of grass clippings … It’s a real home for us, caterpillars, bugs, and more, right Pépé? … Anyway, I have a cocoon to prepare, my friends.
Goodbye José, I’ll leave you in Pépé’s hands…
[José pigeon-reporter] : … Pépé? But who is Pépé?
[Pépé the scientist, a clever bug] :
There… Follow the scent! I am Pépé, my passion is entomology, and I enjoy sharing anecdotes about beneficial fauna. Did you know that about a hundred insects are more or less linked to nettles? In addition to that, we must add our friends the gastropods (snails, slugs) and the arachnids (spiders, mites,…) . Among insects, about ten species of butterflies depend exclusively on nettles to survive. These butterflies lay their eggs ONLY on nettles because their caterpillars feed ONLY on nettles! Among these butterflies, we commonly find the famous Peacock and Red Admiral butterflies.
Ladybugs and insectivorous birds use them as a pantry (insects, aphids). Finally, herbivores (deer, livestock) that feed on them, draw many vitamins from them.
[José pigeon-reporter] : That’s quite a scoop! But how do nettles work then?
[Pépé the scientist, a clever bug] :
Nettles are herbaceous flowering plants of the Urticaceae family. The main species found in Belgium are stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) and annual nettle (Urtica urens). They are indicators of fresh, nitrate-rich soils. Sexual reproduction occurs through insects and wind.
So, who do we thank?
[José pigeon-reporter] : Thank you, Pépé, I will no longer see nettles in the same way.
Let’s break the habit we have of considering nettles as weeds and pulling them out indiscriminately!
Share our slightly quirky explanation from biodiversity enthusiasts.
