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 25 - 48 of 10480 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 21, 2024
Submitted by: John Gibbons
Region: Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 23, 2024
Observation date: Aug 08, 2018
Submitted by: Puccini
Region: Codington County, South Dakota, United States
Verified by: J_Martineau
Verified date: Aug 23, 2024
Observation date: Jun 21, 2024
Submitted by: aarongunnar
Region: Jefferson County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 20, 2024
Observation date: Aug 10, 2024
Submitted by: Eddie Wyatt
Region: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 19, 2024
Observation date: Aug 11, 2024
Submitted by: psmith
Region: Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 19, 2024
Observation date: Aug 14, 2024
Submitted by: ElaineO
Region: Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 16, 2024
Observation date: Jul 22, 2024
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Suffolk County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 15, 2024
Observation date: Aug 12, 2024
Submitted by: Zencoyote
Region: Contra Costa County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 13, 2024
Observation date: Jul 08, 2024
Submitted by: Keith Myrom
Region: Mower County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 13, 2024
Observation date: May 15, 1986
Submitted by: papilio1
Region: Washoe County, Nevada, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 12, 2024
Observation date: Aug 08, 2024
Submitted by: jcarter
Region: Nova Scotia, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 11, 2024
Observation date: Aug 07, 2024
Submitted by: jcarter
Region: Nova Scotia, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 11, 2024
Observation date: Jun 29, 2024
Submitted by: Victoire Batiste
Region: Bucks County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 09, 2024
Observation date: Aug 01, 2024
Submitted by: cp2023
Region: Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 08, 2024
Observation date: Aug 06, 2024
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Franklin County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 07, 2024
Observation date: Aug 06, 2024
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Franklin County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 07, 2024
Observation date: Aug 05, 2024
Submitted by: Gotrilobite
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 06, 2024
Observation date: Jul 25, 2024
Submitted by: Elisabeth_Cassinari
Region: Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 29, 2024
Observation date: Jul 24, 2024
Submitted by: Colleen K
Region: Robertson County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jul 24, 2024
Observation date: Jul 16, 2024
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Marin County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 22, 2024
Observation date: Jul 15, 2024
Submitted by: Dollarman
Region: Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 21, 2024
Observation date: Jul 20, 2024
Submitted by: waxwing
Region: New Brunswick, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 20, 2024
Observation date: Jul 17, 2024
Submitted by: dcs8815
Region: Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 17, 2024
Observation date: Jul 07, 2024
Submitted by: jhust5267@rogers.com
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 16, 2024
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