Large Tortoiseshell lives in woodlands, where it flies across the tree canopy. They are powerful fliers and show a wingspan of about 68 to 75 mm. This species is widespread in Europe, but declines occur in some parts of its range, such as Britain where it is now very rare. Large tortoiseshell feeds mainly on Elms (ulmus), but other various plants are also used, such as Poplars or Willows.