Red admiral (Vanessa atalanta)

Description

Red admiral fact file

• Description
• Biology
• Range
• Habitat
• Status
• Threats
• Conservation
• Find out more
• Glossary
• References
• Print factsheet

Red admiral description

The red admiral (Vanessa atalanta) is a familiar butterfly, and is easy to identify thanks to its striking patterning; the black forewings feature prominent red bars and white spots. The undersides of the hindwings are delicately patterned with brown and black ⁽¹⁾, which provides excellent camouflage when this butterfly is roosting on tree trunks ⁽²⁾. The caterpillar grows to 3.5 centimetres in length, and occurs in a number of forms of varying colour. Dark forms are greyish-black, and have black spines and yellow patches along each side. Various pale forms also occur; they are either green or yellowish with pale spines and black markings ⁽³⁾.

Size

Wingspan: 5.5 - 6 cm ⁽¹⁾

Red admiral biology

Red admirals arriving in Britain following migration have usually mated before commencing their journey. Those that have overwintered in Britain mate after emergence.

Females lay their eggs singly on nettle leaves, and after about a week the eggs hatch ⁽³⁾. The caterpillars create a tent-like shelter from nettle leaves, in which they feed and pupate⁽³⁾. The adults emerge after two to three weeks ⁽³⁾; they either hibernate or migrate southwards towards the end of summer. In southern Britain, it has been discovered that eggs and caterpillars are able to survive the winter, and emerge in the adult form in spring ⁽²⁾.

Red admiral range

This common migratory species has a wide distribution throughout Britain. Adults emerge after hibernation in January and March, and are joined by butterflies that have migrated from North Africa and southern Europe between May and August. As the summer progresses, further immigrants arrive from Spain and Portugal, and later still from central Europe and France ⁽²⁾. After mid-August red admirals in Britain begin to move southwards and the majority spend the winter in warmer climes ⁽²⁾. Globally, this butterfly has a wide distribution, and is known across central and southern Europe, Asia, North Africa and North America ⁽²⁾.

You can view distribution information for this species at the National Biodiversity Network Gateway.

Red admiral habitat

Occurs in a huge range of habitats, usually where the most important caterpillar foodplant, the common nettle (Urtica dioica) occurs ⁽²⁾. Adults are often seen in gardens feeding on nectar on buddleias (such as Buddleja davidii), or feeding on rotten fruit ⁽²⁾.

Red admiral status

The red admiral is not threatened. It is not listed under any conservation designations ⁽²⁾.

Red admiral threats

The red admiral is not currently threatened.

Red admiral conservation

Conservation action has not been targeted at this widespread and common butterfly.

View information on this species at the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre.

There may be further information about this species available via the National Biodiversity Network Gateway.

Find out more

For more on this species see: The Millennium Atlas of Butterflies in Britain and Europe (2001). By Asher, J., et al. Published by Oxford University Press.

For more on butterflies and their conservation see the Butterfly Conservation website:
http://www.butterfly-conservation.org

Authentication

This information is awaiting authentication by a species expert, and will be updated as soon as possible. If you are able to help please contact:
arkive@wildscreen.org.uk

Glossary

Hibernation

A winter survival strategy characteristic of some mammals in which an animal's metabolic rate slows down and a state of deep sleep is attained. Whilst hibernating, animals survive on stored reserves of fat that they have accumulated in summer. In insects, the correct term for hibernation is 'diapause', a temporary pause in development and growth. Any stage of the lifecycle (eggs, larvae, pupae or adults) may enter diapause, which is typically associated with winter.

Pupate

The process of forming a pupa, the stage in an insect's development, when huge changes occur that reorganise the larval form into the adult form. In butterflies the pupa is also called a chrysalis.

References

1. Carter, D. (1992) Butterflies and moths. Dorling Kindersley, London.
2. Asher, J., Warren, M., Fox, R., Harding, P., Jeffcoate, G. & Jeffcoate, S. (2001) The Millennium Atlas of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland Oxford University Press, Oxford.
3. Carter, D. & Hargreaves, B. (1986) A field guide to caterpillars of butterflies and moths in Britain and Europe. William Collins & Sons Ltd, London.