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 10465 verified sightings
Observation date: Apr 20, 2023
Submitted by: mtobin11
Region: Lake County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Apr 26, 2023
Observation date: Apr 16, 2023
Submitted by: camflies
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Apr 22, 2023
Observation date: Apr 15, 2023
Submitted by: Sheilabean
Region: Texas, Tarrant County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Apr 21, 2023
Observation date: Apr 09, 2023
Submitted by: Tommie Rogers
Region: Polk County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Apr 19, 2023
Observation date: Apr 15, 2023
Submitted by: sawah or something
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Apr 15, 2023
Observation date: Apr 15, 2023
Submitted by: sawah or something
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Apr 15, 2023
Observation date: Apr 15, 2023
Submitted by: sawah or something
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Apr 15, 2023
Observation date: Apr 15, 2023
Submitted by: sawah or something
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Apr 15, 2023
Observation date: Apr 15, 2023
Submitted by: sawah or something
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Apr 15, 2023
Observation date: Apr 13, 2023
Submitted by: Samilou22
Region: Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Apr 13, 2023
Observation date: Apr 12, 2023
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Apr 12, 2023
Observation date: Apr 09, 2023
Submitted by: Lightfoot
Region: Lucas County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Apr 10, 2023
Observation date: Apr 09, 2023
Submitted by: mtobin11
Region: Cook County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Apr 10, 2023
Observation date: Apr 06, 2023
Submitted by: Bob Jacobson
Region: Chippewa County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Apr 07, 2023
Observation date: Apr 02, 2023
Submitted by: Joceb2005
Region: DuPage County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Apr 03, 2023
Observation date: Mar 17, 2023
Submitted by: Ty-Sharrow
Region: Craighead County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Apr 03, 2023
Observation date: Apr 01, 2023
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Apr 02, 2023
Observation date: Mar 25, 2023
Submitted by: scream of the b...
Region: Shelby County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Mar 27, 2023
Observation date: Mar 12, 2023
Submitted by: SteveKaye
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 24, 2023
Observation date: Mar 15, 2023
Submitted by: polylepis
Region: Galveston County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Mar 17, 2023
Observation date: Aug 07, 2014
Submitted by: lizmcd
Region: Garrett County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Mar 15, 2023
Observation date: Jun 26, 2017
Submitted by: greenesnake@yah...
Region: Gibson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Mar 09, 2023
Observation date: Sep 03, 2022
Submitted by: NikkiM
Region: Carbon County, Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Feb 27, 2023
Observation date: Feb 20, 2023
Submitted by: KShell
Region: Dixie County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Feb 21, 2023
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