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.
Get your BAMONA Gear!
Please donate!
We depend on donations to keep Butterflies and Moths of North America freely available. We want to express our gratitude to all who showed their support by making a contribution this year. You can donate to support this project at any time.
Advertise with us!
Do you have a product or service that you think would interest BAMONA users? If you would like to advertise on this website, contact us by email, or use the contact form and select the "Advertising" category.
Verified Sightings
Displaying 265 - 288 of 10433 verified sightings
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/20230627_182259.jpg?itok=lmFRo0PV)
Observation date: Jun 27, 2023
Submitted by: kkuecker26
Region: Rock County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 27, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/red_admiral_-_devils_lake_6.27.23.jpeg?itok=qpBGEB9G)
Observation date: Jun 27, 2023
Submitted by: Jennie Lanzendorf
Region: Sauk County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 27, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dsc_1713_0.jpg?itok=dpKyXiNG)
Observation date: Apr 29, 2023
Submitted by: Quyen Edwards
Region: Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: Jun 26, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/20230515_155054.jpg?itok=vAZ9eIuW)
Observation date: May 15, 2023
Submitted by: Bleem
Region: Marquette County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: Jun 26, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/large_518.jpg?itok=8QL2_KKQ)
Observation date: Apr 26, 2023
Submitted by: Roose
Region: Saginaw County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: Jun 26, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/_dsc7515_vaat_b.jpg?itok=fUte9flx)
Observation date: Jun 03, 2023
Submitted by: sandyleapt
Region: Harney County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 25, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/vanessa_atalanta_2023-06-15_corn_creek_dnwr_nv.jpg?itok=Ac38G5Qd)
Observation date: Jun 15, 2023
Submitted by: J Tinsman
Region: Clark County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 25, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_5989.jpeg?itok=4kPVtxHz)
Observation date: Jun 23, 2023
Submitted by: lkennedywilson
Region: St. Johns County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 23, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dscn0993.jpeg?itok=vs1Q__tS)
Observation date: Jun 22, 2023
Submitted by: Brendavent
Region: Collier County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 22, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dsc_1565.jpeg?itok=GQGjKeG7)
Observation date: Jun 20, 2023
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Douglas County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 21, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_5845.jpeg?itok=rbldlyJT)
Observation date: Jun 14, 2023
Submitted by: Seth Mueller
Region: San Bernardino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 20, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/pxl_20230620_152851630.jpg?itok=DjK9NWjq)
Observation date: Jun 20, 2023
Submitted by: bekkfree
Region: Cowley County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 20, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/original_15_4.jpeg?itok=cJjCsYk3)
Observation date: Apr 27, 2023
Submitted by: aarongunnar
Region: Jefferson County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 20, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_20230619_115816710.jpg?itok=YgSCJ9G4)
Observation date: Jun 19, 2023
Submitted by: johnmiller
Region: Bradley County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 19, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dsc02471.jpg?itok=V-3wcWgh)
Observation date: Jun 10, 2023
Submitted by: davek
Region: Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 19, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dscn3905_1.jpg?itok=uIJVC0Jr)
Observation date: Jun 17, 2023
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 19, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/pxl_20230519_1620119052.jpg?itok=fG_yARYN)
Observation date: May 19, 2023
Submitted by: sasd
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 19, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/20230617_151504.jpg?itok=Qxf5R6Ik)
Observation date: Jun 17, 2023
Submitted by: Christinalea
Region: Texas, Wichita County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 18, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/red_admiral_122.jpg?itok=tw8PSCj-)
Observation date: Jun 12, 2023
Submitted by: thomas o. taylor
Region: Alberta, Canada
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 12, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dscn0424.jpg?itok=7LbPGbbM)
Observation date: Jun 10, 2023
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Colfax County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 11, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dscn2478_0.jpg?itok=72hoXUjL)
Observation date: May 10, 2023
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Wolfe County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jun 11, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_4882_2.jpg?itok=IF7VhToM)
Observation date: Jun 04, 2023
Submitted by: kbg
Region: Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 08, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/42268816_unknown.jpeg?itok=RU1AQizz)
Observation date: Jun 07, 2023
Submitted by: Patricia12
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 08, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_7049_1.jpg?itok=IPJXQ_XT)
Observation date: Jun 06, 2023
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 07, 2023
- ‹ previous
- 12 of 435
- next ›