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 385 - 408 of 10465 verified sightings
Observation date: Feb 20, 2023
Submitted by: pamelmmc
Region: Santa Clara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Feb 20, 2023
Observation date: Aug 16, 2012
Submitted by: Todd Boland
Region: Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Feb 16, 2023
Observation date: Aug 22, 2016
Submitted by: Todd Boland
Region: Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Feb 16, 2023
Observation date: Aug 29, 2016
Submitted by: Todd Boland
Region: Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Feb 16, 2023
Observation date: Sep 23, 2021
Submitted by: Todd Boland
Region: Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Feb 16, 2023
Observation date: Sep 23, 2021
Submitted by: Todd Boland
Region: Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Feb 11, 2023
Observation date: Feb 09, 2023
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Feb 10, 2023
Observation date: Aug 25, 2021
Submitted by: NathanielHannemann
Region: Alberta, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 07, 2023
Observation date: Jul 01, 2019
Submitted by: Mluna25
Region: Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Jan 30, 2023
Observation date: Oct 07, 2016
Submitted by: kittybev
Region: Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 29, 2023
Observation date: Jul 10, 2016
Submitted by: biobirdlady
Region: United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jan 27, 2023
Observation date: Nov 04, 2022
Submitted by: melzabubble
Region: Mexico
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Jan 26, 2023
Observation date: Jan 21, 2023
Submitted by: Christinalea
Region: Texas, Wichita County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jan 21, 2023
Observation date: Nov 27, 2022
Submitted by: theskyeworld
Region: Bastrop County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jan 09, 2023
Observation date: May 01, 2022
Submitted by: Seth Mueller
Region: San Bernardino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jan 02, 2023
Observation date: Jul 01, 2021
Submitted by: flyinganvil
Region: Snohomish County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Jan 01, 2023
Observation date: Sep 16, 2022
Submitted by: hockeybruce7
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Dec 30, 2022
Observation date: Dec 25, 2022
Submitted by: docentgal
Region: San Mateo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Dec 26, 2022
Observation date: Nov 24, 2022
Submitted by: mstanek
Region: Del Norte County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Dec 12, 2022
Observation date: Dec 08, 2022
Submitted by: Rmclaughlin
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Dec 09, 2022
Observation date: Sep 16, 2022
Submitted by: hclancy
Region: Bronx County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Nov 30, 2022
Observation date: Sep 16, 2022
Submitted by: hclancy
Region: Bronx County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Nov 30, 2022
Observation date: Sep 16, 2022
Submitted by: hclancy
Region: Bronx County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Nov 30, 2022
Observation date: Nov 13, 2022
Submitted by: kjaldridge
Region: Bernalillo County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 23, 2022
- ‹ previous
- 17 of 437
- next ›