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.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 361 - 384 of 10611 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 26, 2023
Submitted by: HimmelBerries
Region: Saskatchewan, Canada
Verified by: alchem30
Verified date: Sep 09, 2023
Observation date: Jun 21, 2023
Submitted by: RStankiewicz
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Sep 05, 2023
Observation date: Sep 03, 2023
Submitted by: Luna-Linuche.76
Region: Klamath County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 04, 2023
Observation date: Aug 09, 2023
Submitted by: TiffYG2133
Region: Larimer County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Sep 04, 2023
Observation date: Sep 01, 2023
Submitted by: Sometimes
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Sep 02, 2023
Observation date: Feb 24, 2023
Submitted by: bonfrey
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 27, 2023
Observation date: Jul 16, 2023
Submitted by: Midway Station
Region: Cook County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 26, 2023
Observation date: Aug 23, 2023
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Franklin County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 26, 2023
Observation date: Aug 02, 2023
Submitted by: zbeckb
Region: Hamilton County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 24, 2023
Observation date: Aug 19, 2023
Submitted by: thomas o. taylor
Region: Alberta, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Aug 22, 2023
Observation date: Aug 20, 2023
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Franklin County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 22, 2023
Observation date: May 09, 2016
Submitted by: Robb Hannawacker
Region: San Juan County, Utah, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 21, 2023
Observation date: Jul 24, 2017
Submitted by: mhearell
Region: Weber County, Utah, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 21, 2023
Observation date: Aug 19, 2023
Submitted by: dlister
Region: Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 21, 2023
Observation date: Jul 24, 2017
Submitted by: dingoqueen
Region: Weber County, Utah, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 21, 2023
Observation date: May 01, 2023
Submitted by: Rick Sinnott
Region: Davidson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 19, 2023
Observation date: Aug 18, 2023
Submitted by: Kara Henderson
Region: San Francisco County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 18, 2023
Observation date: Aug 15, 2023
Submitted by: Dobber31
Region: Mono County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 18, 2023
Observation date: Aug 17, 2023
Submitted by: EPS
Region: Nova Scotia, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 18, 2023
Observation date: Aug 12, 2023
Submitted by: heather-russell
Region: Guilford County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 17, 2023
Observation date: Aug 15, 2023
Submitted by: RLS
Region: Monroe County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 16, 2023
Observation date: Aug 14, 2023
Submitted by: Todd Boland
Region: Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 14, 2023
Observation date: Aug 12, 2023
Submitted by: chuck meier
Region: Hawaii County, Hawaii, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 13, 2023
Observation date: Aug 10, 2023
Submitted by: Amy O
Region: Frederick County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 12, 2023
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