Where’s Wildlife · Butterfly Field Guide
Vanessa atalanta
Pronounced (approx.): vuh-NESS-uh at-uh-LAN-tuh
Bold red-orange bands flash as this fast-flying butterfly crosses a garden or woodland edge.
Select the photograph to browse all 5 field photographs.
NATIVE TO NORTH AMERICA
The upper forewing carries a red-orange band and white tip spots; the hindwing has a red trailing border. Closed wings reveal much more subdued, mottled hindwings. [1]
Explore these 5 field photographs. Select any image to open the gallery.
Females place eggs individually on host leaves. Caterpillars fasten folded nettle leaves with silk, feeding from these shelters. [1]
Migrants from warmer areas recolonize cold-winter regions in spring. Adult numbers and arrival dates vary, so a local sighting is more useful than a fixed nationwide flight calendar. [1]
Explore reported Red Admiral sightings. Observation records show where people have documented butterflies and are not a complete range map.
[1] Missouri Department of Conservation — Red Admiral
Identification, habitat, host plants, feeding, and life history.