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 529 - 552 of 10471 verified sightings
Observation date: May 26, 2019
Submitted by: Soulsu
Region: Quebec, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Apr 04, 2022
Observation date: Jul 30, 2007
Submitted by: Peter Homann
Region: Quebec, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Apr 03, 2022
Observation date: Apr 01, 2022
Submitted by: Gordon Berman
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Apr 02, 2022
Observation date: Mar 31, 2022
Submitted by: cjgoin
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Apr 01, 2022
Observation date: Mar 01, 2022
Submitted by: yhelfman
Region: Santa Clara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 30, 2022
Observation date: Mar 26, 2022
Submitted by: Luna-Linuche.76
Region: Klamath County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 27, 2022
Observation date: Mar 08, 2022
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Santa Clara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 21, 2022
Observation date: Jul 04, 2021
Submitted by: vic77
Region: Dickinson County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Mar 13, 2022
Observation date: Jul 04, 2021
Submitted by: vic77
Region: Dickinson County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Mar 13, 2022
Observation date: Feb 20, 2022
Submitted by: Marta Reece
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Mar 04, 2022
Observation date: Jul 21, 2013
Submitted by: moth13
Region: Virginia, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Mar 03, 2022
Observation date: Apr 26, 2019
Submitted by: Joceb2005
Region: McHenry County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Mar 02, 2022
Observation date: Sep 21, 2018
Submitted by: Joceb2005
Region: McHenry County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Mar 02, 2022
Observation date: Aug 24, 2019
Submitted by: ovenbirder@gmail.com
Region: Nova Scotia, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 27, 2022
Observation date: Jul 31, 2019
Submitted by: Marleigh
Region: Nova Scotia, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 27, 2022
Observation date: Sep 23, 2017
Submitted by: jollygoodyellow
Region: Nova Scotia, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 27, 2022
Observation date: Jun 28, 2017
Submitted by: jollygoodyellow
Region: Nova Scotia, Canada
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Feb 27, 2022
Observation date: Apr 04, 2019
Submitted by: Michael Fugate
Region: Riverside County, California, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 24, 2022
Observation date: Jan 30, 2022
Submitted by: Zencoyote
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Feb 23, 2022
Observation date: Feb 19, 2022
Submitted by: frankseverson
Region: Sacramento County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Feb 23, 2022
Observation date: Feb 17, 2022
Submitted by: Patricia12
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Feb 23, 2022
Observation date: Aug 01, 2021
Submitted by: billd
Region: Garfield County, Oklahoma, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Feb 15, 2022
Observation date: Jun 09, 2010
Submitted by: Ilse Gebhard
Region: Kalamazoo County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 11, 2022
Observation date: Jan 05, 2022
Submitted by: Rmclaughlin
Region: Pima County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Feb 08, 2022
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