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 169 - 192 of 10433 verified sightings
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_2334_red_admiral_vanessa_atalanta.jpg?itok=uEw7F0ok)
Observation date: Aug 28, 2023
Submitted by: NikkiM
Region: Carbon County, Montana, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Oct 23, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_9486.jpeg?itok=u_wppOzq)
Observation date: Oct 21, 2023
Submitted by: Seth Mueller
Region: San Bernardino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 22, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/20230710_vanessa_atalanta_rubria_-_fawn_river_np_orland_in.jpg?itok=TNQk-3K7)
Observation date: Jul 10, 2023
Submitted by: naj.pilla
Region: Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Oct 22, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/20231015.hammonassetsp.newhavenct.redadmiral.1a.jpg?itok=qwzH2MCe)
Observation date: Oct 15, 2023
Submitted by: kristenej
Region: New Haven County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 20, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/93478.jpg?itok=wJAZ2By2)
Observation date: Oct 08, 2023
Submitted by: Deborah Paulsen
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 09, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/admiral_1.jpeg?itok=U3mVnF69)
Observation date: Oct 02, 2023
Submitted by: Patricia12
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 04, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dsc_4705-2.jpg?itok=qZy_d8kj)
Observation date: Oct 03, 2023
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Cumberland County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Oct 03, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/230714_redadmiral_2672f.jpg?itok=fY4F8CxH)
Observation date: Jul 14, 2023
Submitted by: commentator
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Sep 28, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/pxl_20230826_195839508.jpg?itok=IEKKsMqq)
Observation date: Aug 26, 2023
Submitted by: Pandy
Region: Alberta, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Sep 28, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_7881_1.jpg?itok=TMtz-V6t)
Observation date: Sep 23, 2023
Submitted by: vogelbild
Region: DuPage County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 23, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/red_admiral_white_river_county_park_9-2-23.jpg?itok=I5rEdsuh)
Observation date: Sep 02, 2023
Submitted by: mtobin11
Region: Walworth County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Sep 21, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/red_admiral_chicago_botanic_garden_8-16-23.jpg?itok=cBQyBKgO)
Observation date: Aug 16, 2023
Submitted by: mtobin11
Region: Cook County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Sep 20, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/20230718_104028_whitby.jpg?itok=URi388ru)
Observation date: Jul 18, 2023
Submitted by: MEW2021
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Sep 17, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/173a0059_fotor.jpg?itok=-SlQL01i)
Observation date: May 15, 2023
Submitted by: justawriter
Region: McKenzie County, North Dakota, United States
Verified by: stevekohler
Verified date: Sep 12, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dsc_0007_33.jpg?itok=2GLNS3dk)
Observation date: Aug 26, 2023
Submitted by: HimmelBerries
Region: Saskatchewan, Canada
Verified by: alchem30
Verified date: Sep 09, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dscn1214a.jpg?itok=Etjhsum6)
Observation date: Jun 21, 2023
Submitted by: RStankiewicz
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Sep 05, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/red_admiral_k.falls_backyard_3_sept._2023_post.jpg?itok=R6bLDB1k)
Observation date: Sep 03, 2023
Submitted by: Luna-Linuche.76
Region: Klamath County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 04, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/red_admiral_121.jpg?itok=kTozpNfO)
Observation date: Aug 09, 2023
Submitted by: TiffYG2133
Region: Larimer County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: mikefisher
Verified date: Sep 04, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/dsc09825_2.jpg?itok=JZc3my6-)
Observation date: Sep 01, 2023
Submitted by: Sometimes
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Sep 02, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_4780_6.jpg?itok=_ryVWogP)
Observation date: Feb 24, 2023
Submitted by: bonfrey
Region: Hidalgo County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 27, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/july_16_2023_p1.jpg?itok=-juQG-PV)
Observation date: Jul 16, 2023
Submitted by: Midway Station
Region: Cook County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 26, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/red_admiral_2_arnolds_-_our_yard_aug_23_2023_1247pm.rscn7551.jpg?itok=Wk7-mqe_)
Observation date: Aug 23, 2023
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Franklin County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 26, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_4605_0.jpeg?itok=xWo1dsyL)
Observation date: Aug 02, 2023
Submitted by: zbeckb
Region: Hamilton County, Indiana, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 24, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/red_admiral_sunning_1.jpg?itok=ojJbFzLk)
Observation date: Aug 19, 2023
Submitted by: thomas o. taylor
Region: Alberta, Canada
Verified by: Paul Prappas
Verified date: Aug 22, 2023
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