Red Admiral
Vanessa atalanta (Linnaeus, 1758)
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Nymphalinae
Identification: Upperside is black with white spots near the apex; forewing with red median band, hindwing with red marginal band. The winter form is smaller and duller, summer form larger and brighter with an interrupted forewing band.
Wing Span: 1 3/4 - 3 inches (4.5 - 7.6 cm).
Life History: The Red Admiral has a very erratic, rapid flight. Males perch, on ridgetops if available, in the afternoon to wait for females, who lay eggs singly on the tops of host plant leaves. Young caterpillars eat and live within a shelter of folded leaves; older caterpillars make a nest of leaves tied together with silk. Adults hibernate.
Flight: Two broods from March-October in the north, winters from October-March in South Texas.
Caterpillar Hosts: Plants of the nettle family (Urticaceae) including stinging nettle (Urtica dioica), tall wild nettle (U. gracilis), wood nettle (Laportea canadensis), false nettle (Boehmeria cylindrica), pellitory (Parietoria pennsylvanica), mamaki (Pipturus albidus), and possibly hops (Humulus).
Adult Food: Red Admirals prefer sap flows on trees, fermenting fruit, and bird droppings; visiting flowers only when these are not available. Then they will nectar at common milkweed, red clover, aster, and alfalfa, among others.
Habitat: Moist woods, yards, parks, marshes, seeps, moist fields. During migrations, the Red Admiral is found in almost any habitat from tundra to subtropics.
Range: Guatemala north through Mexico and the United States to northern Canada; Hawaii, some Caribbean Islands, New Zealand, Europe, Northern Africa, Asia. Cannot survive coldest winters; most of North America must be recolonized each spring by southern migrants.
Conservation: Not required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Comments: NULL
Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 9333 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 04, 2019
Submitted by: abramsbh
Region: Larimer County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: A_baldini
Verified date: Sep 08, 2019
Observation date: Sep 08, 2019
Submitted by: SaraJE
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Sep 08, 2019
Observation date: Jul 24, 2019
Submitted by: marsrover
Region: Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 08, 2019
Observation date: Jun 04, 2019
Submitted by: Jazzejan
Region: Nassau County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Sep 07, 2019
Observation date: Sep 06, 2019
Submitted by: kristasessions
Region: Cortland County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Sep 06, 2019
Observation date: Jul 27, 2019
Submitted by: Markus M
Region: Jalisco, Mexico
Verified by: Doug Taron
Verified date: Sep 05, 2019
Observation date: Jul 11, 2019
Submitted by: flatus
Region: Josephine County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 04, 2019
Observation date: Aug 30, 2019
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Ingham County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Sep 04, 2019
Observation date: Aug 31, 2019
Submitted by: Rjfischer
Region: Wayne County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Sep 04, 2019
Observation date: Aug 31, 2019
Submitted by: Cupcakequester
Region: Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Sep 03, 2019
Observation date: Aug 19, 2019
Submitted by: topper72
Region: Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 03, 2019
Observation date: Aug 28, 2019
Submitted by: butterfly101
Region: Clay County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Sep 02, 2019
Observation date: Jul 22, 2019
Submitted by: commentator
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Sep 01, 2019
Observation date: Jul 19, 2019
Submitted by: commentator
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 31, 2019
Observation date: Aug 30, 2019
Submitted by: pachips
Region: Bedford County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 30, 2019
Observation date: Aug 26, 2019
Submitted by: ellenjones6
Region: Essex County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 29, 2019
Observation date: Aug 29, 2019
Submitted by: RMarkows
Region: Nassau County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 29, 2019
Observation date: Aug 28, 2019
Submitted by: mellielong
Region: Cabell County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Aug 28, 2019
Observation date: Jul 20, 2019
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Oconee County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 28, 2019
Observation date: Aug 25, 2019
Submitted by: GLG
Region: Walton County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Aug 26, 2019
Observation date: Aug 10, 2019
Submitted by: Jeanne9953
Region: Westchester County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 22, 2019
Observation date: Jun 13, 2019
Submitted by: mathgeek
Region: Jackson County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 21, 2019
Observation date: Aug 20, 2019
Submitted by: lfiske
Region: Kings County, New York, United States
Verified by: rosslayberry
Verified date: Aug 20, 2019
Observation date: Aug 19, 2019
Submitted by: pachips
Region: Bedford County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 20, 2019
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