ABH 59.023
Red Admiral
Vanessa atalanta
BF 1590
Back To
(Linnaeus (1758)
Phenology
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Family
Nymphalidae:
Wingspan
Large
sized: wingspan, .
Male: 64 - 72mm
Female: 70 - 78m
Description
Both sexes are
velvety black with a conspicuous diagonal red band across the forewings
and a similar red band around the rear margin of the hindwings.
A number of prominent white patches occur towards the tips of the
forewings, outside the red bands and a series of small black spots
extend along the centre of the red bands on the hindwings. The undersides
of the forewings mirror the colour-patterning of the upper sides
with rose, rather than red, banding on a duller grey-brown to black
ground colouration. The undersides of the hind wings have a similar
ground colouration to that of the forewings but the red band of
the upper surface is absent. There is a subtriangular white patch
on the leading edge of the hindwing.
May be found anywhere in Britain and Ireland
and in all habitat types.
Starting each spring and continuing through
the summer there are northward migrations, which are variable in
extent and timing, from North Africa and continental Europe. The
immigrant females lay eggs and consequently there is an emergence
of fresh butterflies, from about July onwards. They continue flying
into October or November and are typically seen nectaring on garden
buddleias or flowering Ivy and on rotting fruit.
There is an indication that numbers have
increased in recent years and that overwintering has occurred in
S of England.
Life Cycle
Adults can be observed through the year
increasing up to May and June as an influx of migrants arrive from
the continent. These breed and give rise to the next generation
of adults with a peak of emergence between mid-August and early
October. There is a single brood each year.
Habitat
Ubiquitous in its
habitat presentation Upland , woodland , garssland etc
The Red Admiral is a strong flier but prefers
to settle more around sheltered sites such as woodlands glades and
edges, hedgerows and in gardens. It is essentially a migrant species
which seldom survives the British winter. New populations migrate
in from the continent each year from March/April onwards. Eggs are
laid on the Common Nettle, Urtica dioica,
shortly afterwards with the caterpillars pupating from July onwards
Links
Abberants 
Images
Vanessa atalanta
ABH 59.023 |
Red Admiral Vanessa atalanta |
BF 1590 |
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| Back To | (Linnaeus (1758) |
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Phenology |
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Family |
Nymphalidae: | ||||||||||||||
Wingspan |
Large
sized: wingspan, . Male: 64 - 72mm Female: 70 - 78m |
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Description |
Both sexes are velvety black with a conspicuous diagonal red band across the forewings and a similar red band around the rear margin of the hindwings. A number of prominent white patches occur towards the tips of the forewings, outside the red bands and a series of small black spots extend along the centre of the red bands on the hindwings. The undersides of the forewings mirror the colour-patterning of the upper sides with rose, rather than red, banding on a duller grey-brown to black ground colouration. The undersides of the hind wings have a similar ground colouration to that of the forewings but the red band of the upper surface is absent. There is a subtriangular white patch on the leading edge of the hindwing. May be found anywhere in Britain and Ireland and in all habitat types. Starting each spring and continuing through the summer there are northward migrations, which are variable in extent and timing, from North Africa and continental Europe. The immigrant females lay eggs and consequently there is an emergence of fresh butterflies, from about July onwards. They continue flying into October or November and are typically seen nectaring on garden buddleias or flowering Ivy and on rotting fruit. There is an indication that numbers have increased in recent years and that overwintering has occurred in S of England. |
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Life Cycle |
Adults can be observed through the year increasing up to May and June as an influx of migrants arrive from the continent. These breed and give rise to the next generation of adults with a peak of emergence between mid-August and early October. There is a single brood each year.
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Habitat |
Ubiquitous in its habitat presentation Upland , woodland , garssland etc The Red Admiral is a strong flier but prefers to settle more around sheltered sites such as woodlands glades and edges, hedgerows and in gardens. It is essentially a migrant species which seldom survives the British winter. New populations migrate in from the continent each year from March/April onwards. Eggs are laid on the Common Nettle, Urtica dioica, shortly afterwards with the caterpillars pupating from July onwards | ||||||||||||||
Links |
Abberants |
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Images |
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