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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 1 - 24 of 10438 verified sightings
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Miller County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Merced County, California, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Cheyenne County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Searcy County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Macon County, Alabama, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Apache County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Shasta County, California, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Douglas County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Carroll County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Graham County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Trinity County, California, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Las Animas County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Crittenden County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Contra Costa County, California, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Colusa County, California, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Pitkin County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Independence County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Kings County, California, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Larimer County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: La Plata County, Colorado, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Brevard County, Florida, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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Observation date: unknown
Submitted by: legacy.reporter
Region: Bon Homme County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: legacy.verifier
Verified date: Dec 31, 2004
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