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 73 - 96 of 10433 verified sightings
Observation date: May 17, 2024
Submitted by: BeaLaporte
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: May 19, 2024
Observation date: May 11, 2024
Submitted by: dfagan746
Region: Deschutes County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 19, 2024
Observation date: May 15, 2024
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 19, 2024
Observation date: May 07, 2024
Submitted by: Jim Lowe
Region: Cook County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 18, 2024
Observation date: Mar 17, 2024
Submitted by: madamirie
Region: Monterey County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 12, 2024
Observation date: May 08, 2024
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: May 12, 2024
Observation date: May 06, 2024
Submitted by: BeaLaporte
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: May 11, 2024
Observation date: May 08, 2024
Submitted by: mtobin11
Region: Lake County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 10, 2024
Observation date: May 09, 2024
Submitted by: inthelikeness
Region: Comanche County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 09, 2024
Observation date: May 04, 2024
Submitted by: Anne E. Dickinson
Region: Warren County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: May 08, 2024
Observation date: May 06, 2024
Submitted by: jfkoza
Region: Essex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 07, 2024
Observation date: Apr 28, 2024
Submitted by: mikeminium
Region: Darke County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 07, 2024
Observation date: May 05, 2024
Submitted by: mtobin11
Region: Lake County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 07, 2024
Observation date: May 03, 2024
Submitted by: Edtocco
Region: Herkimer County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: May 04, 2024
Observation date: May 03, 2024
Submitted by: tiki33wv
Region: Pocahontas County, West Virginia, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: May 04, 2024
Observation date: Apr 05, 2024
Submitted by: rkw9000
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 03, 2024
Observation date: Apr 20, 2024
Submitted by: catbirdcat
Region: Carroll County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 03, 2024
Observation date: May 02, 2024
Submitted by: RLS
Region: Monroe County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: May 02, 2024
Observation date: Apr 15, 2024
Submitted by: RLS
Region: Monroe County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: May 02, 2024
Observation date: Apr 30, 2024
Submitted by: Jim Lowe
Region: Tompkins County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: May 02, 2024
Observation date: Apr 16, 2024
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: May 02, 2024
Observation date: Apr 23, 2024
Submitted by: gjkoppel
Region: Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: May 02, 2024
Observation date: Apr 28, 2024
Submitted by: maryjanzen
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: May 02, 2024
Observation date: Apr 29, 2024
Submitted by: MSEmbeck
Region: Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: May 02, 2024
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