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 289 - 312 of 10450 verified sightings
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Observation date: Jun 23, 2023
Submitted by: lkennedywilson
Region: St. Johns County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jun 23, 2023
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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
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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
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Observation date: Jun 20, 2023
Submitted by: bekkfree
Region: Cowley County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 20, 2023
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Observation date: Apr 27, 2023
Submitted by: aarongunnar
Region: Jefferson County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 20, 2023
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Observation date: Jun 19, 2023
Submitted by: johnmiller
Region: Bradley County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 19, 2023
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Observation date: Jun 10, 2023
Submitted by: davek
Region: Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 19, 2023
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Observation date: Jun 17, 2023
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 19, 2023
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Observation date: May 19, 2023
Submitted by: sasd
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 19, 2023
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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
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Observation date: Jun 10, 2023
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Colfax County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jun 11, 2023
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Observation date: May 10, 2023
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Wolfe County, Kentucky, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jun 11, 2023
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Observation date: Jun 04, 2023
Submitted by: kbg
Region: Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 08, 2023
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Observation date: Jun 07, 2023
Submitted by: Patricia12
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 08, 2023
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Observation date: Jun 06, 2023
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 07, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/vanessa_atalanta_6_jun_2023.jpg?itok=QZSVc1Np)
Observation date: Jun 06, 2023
Submitted by: seemayer
Region: Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 07, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dsc03640_0.jpg?itok=dFbnxQYd)
Observation date: Jun 03, 2023
Submitted by: Sometimes
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 04, 2023
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Observation date: Jun 02, 2023
Submitted by: Bob Jacobson
Region: Chippewa County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 03, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_6664_4.jpg?itok=XIYEZXOb)
Observation date: Jun 02, 2023
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 03, 2023
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Observation date: May 30, 2023
Submitted by: sseagrave
Region: Sheridan County, Wyoming, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Jun 02, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_2070.jpeg?itok=ai_0Dd_r)
Observation date: May 17, 2023
Submitted by: robtluke@aol.com
Region: Dare County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Jun 02, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dscn0336_0.jpg?itok=Dwa91N5B)
Observation date: May 29, 2023
Submitted by: DeepSkyKelly
Region: Union County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 30, 2023
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