Red Admiral

Vanessa atalanta, the red admiral, is a well-characterized, medium-sized butterfly with black wings, red bands and white spots, with a wingspan of about 5 centimeters. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in the 1758 tenth edition of his Systema Naturae. The species is widely distributed across temperate regions of North Africa, North America, Europe, Asia and the Caribbean, residing in warmer areas but migrating north in spring and sometimes again in autumn. Typically found in moist woodlands, its caterpillars feed primarily on stinging nettle and also on false nettle, while adults drink from flowering plants such as Buddleja and from overripe fruit; red admirals are territorial, with females mating only with males that hold territory.