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RED ADMIRAL

BUTTERFLY

Vanessa atalanta

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August 2008. A garden in Walkden. Photo: © RWD
On Argentinian Vervain.


August 2008. A garden in Walkden. Photo: © RWD
On Argentinian Vervain.


16th sept 2009, Silverdale, Cumbria. Photo: © RWD
On Ivy, a popular plant for butterflies.


27th July 2013, Dungeon Point, Hale, Liverpool. Photo: © RWD
Wings folded, on Wild Teasel. A totally unexpected and drab dark pattern on the underside, with blacks and browns.


Uniquely identifiable characteristics

Distinguishing Feature :

The host plant (where it lays its eggs) of the Red Admiral are small clumps of Stinging Nettle as its main host, followed by the following plants as secondaries: Small Nettle, Hop, Pellitory-of-the-Wall and Eastern Pellitory-of-the-Wall, which all belong to the Nettle Family or in the case of Hop, to the Hop Fmily.

The nectar sources of Red Admiral are (in order of incidence): Butterfly-Bush, Ivy, Iceplant, Apple (the fruit), Michaelmas Daisy, Common Michaelmas Daisy, Confused Michaelmas Daisy, Red Valerian. Media Mahonia is amongst a great many relatively less important flower sources.


  Vanessa atalanta  ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ Nymphalidae  

RED ADMIRAL

BUTTERFLY

Vanessa atalanta

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