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 25 - 48 of 10458 verified sightings
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Worth County, Iowa, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Alleghany County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Hopkins County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Curry County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Bronx County, New York, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Lee County, Florida, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Georgia, Telfair County, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Jefferson County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Cuming County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Merrick County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Morgan County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Marquette County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Hinsdale County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Ramsey County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Jersey County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Polk County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Oliver County, North Dakota, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Essex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: York County, Maine, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Carroll County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Graham County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Marion County, Iowa, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Petroleum County, Montana, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Carteret County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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