| Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta (Linnaeus, 1758)) |
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Scientific name: Vanessa atalanta (Linnaeus, 1758) Common name: Red Admiral French name: Vulcain, Amiral. Order: Lepidoptera Suborder: Rhopalocera Family: Nymphalidae Subfamily: Nymphalinae Wingspan: 54-60 mm Biotope: Parks and gardens, orchards. Geographic area: Europe (rare in northern Scandinavia), Asia to Iran, North Africa and North America . Starting at spring there are migrations from North Africa and Southern Europe to the North. Flight time: May to October. Number of generations : 2-3 Caterpillar: Black with short yellow dorsal spines. The sides have white-yellowish marks near the tail. It usually feeds alone on Nettle. Host plant: Nettle (Urtica). |
Red Admirals butterflies are very common in gardens. In autumn they enter buildings to overwinter. In summer, many of them are attracted to flowers and rotting fruits. Males and females are similar. The upper side of the fore wings is a very dark brown to black colour. It is crossed by a bright orange to red band. The area close to the apex bears small white spots. The upper side of the hind wings is a very dark brown colour with an orange marginal border ornated with black dots. There is a small blue marking close to the anal angle. The underside of the wings is a less dark brown colour. You can also see a red band on the underside of the forewings with some blue markings. The underside of the hind wings, without bright colours, provides a good camouflage when the red Admiral is landed with its folded wings. Red Admirals fly from mid-summer to the first cold days, then they fly again in spring after having overwintered. |
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This butterfly was resting in the sunshine on the middle of a forest track. It flew away as I got close. It tried then to fight for its territory by flying around my head. I landed at the same initial place as soon as I walked away. I had to use my tele lenses to shoot this picture. |
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Most often, you can see red Admirals with closed wings. |
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One Read Admiral came to gather nectar in my garden on pyracantha. I was even able to get at distance of a few millimetres without seeing it fly away. |
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It is amazing to be able to take such pictures (using digital cropping of course) with standard 55mm lenses. I will reach a complete new world as soon as I get macro lenses. |
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Front view of a Red Admiral gathering nectar on a Buddleja. |
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I have found this caterpillar hidden on the underside of the Nettle leaf during its diurnal rest. I put it myself on this twig so that you can better see it on the picture. |
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Another caterpillar found under a Nettle leaf. |
André Bon November 2021