Animal Diversity Web U of M Museum of Zoology ADW Home ADW Home ADW Home University of Michigan Help About Aninal Names Teaching Special Topics About Us




Structured Inquiry Search — preview

Home -> Kingdom Animalia -> Phylum Arthropoda -> Class Insecta -> Order Lepidoptera -> Suborder Macrolepidoptera -> Family Nymphalidae -> Species Vanessa atalanta

Vanessa atalanta
red admiral



2008/05/11 09:01:41.669 GMT-4

By Amanda Downing

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Suborder: Macrolepidoptera
Family: Nymphalidae
Genus: Vanessa
Species: Vanessa atalanta

Geographic Range

The range of Red Admirals extends from northern Canada, throughout the United States, through Mexico, and as far south as Guatemala. This butterfly is also found in Hawaii, Europe, Northern Africa, New Zealand, and in Asia as far east as Iran.

References: (Opler, et al 2000)

Biogeographic Regions:
nearctic (native ); palearctic (native ); oriental (native ); ethiopian (native ); neotropical (native ).

Habitat

Red Admirals tend to be found in moist environments such as marshes, woods, fields, and yards. These butterflies cannot stand extreme winter cold and are forced to migrate southward during the winter months to warmer climates. During this migration they can be found in habitats ranging from subtropics to tundras. The caterpillar lives upon willows, poplars, and elms. Immature caterpillars tend to live amongst the leaves of these trees, while more mature caterpillars will construct a nest of leaves and silk.

References: (Hubbell 1993, Opler et. al 2000)

Terrestrial Biomes:
savanna or grassland ; forest .

Physical Description

The characteristic coloration of the Red Admiral Butterfly is a black hindwing with a red-orange marginal band; the dorsal forewing is also black with white markings near the apex. The wing span of the Red Admiral ranges between 1.75 and 3 inches. These butterflies tend to have a brighter coloration and a larger body mass during the summer months than during the winter. The legs and eyes of the Red Admiral tend to be hairy and the head is moderately large.

A mature caterpillar of the larvae stage is cyndrical in shape and has branching spines arranged in rows lengthwise.

References: (Holland 1907, Opler et. al 2000)

Some key physical features:
ectothermic ; bilateral symmetry .

Reproduction

Male Red Admirals are territorial butterflies that patrol their areas in order to find female mates. The males typically perch upon sunlit spots, in the mid-afternoon, to wait for females to fly by. Once fertilized, female Red Admirals will lay their eggs on the upper surface of host plant leaves. The majority of Red Admiral butterflies are double-brooded (two generations grow a year); however, in Canada and the northern part of the United States they are single-brooded (one generation a year), and in the southern United States they are triple-brooded (three generations a year).

The general life cycle of the Red Admiral butterfly goes from an egg, to a caterpillar (pupate in a chrysalis), that emerges as an adult. The adult then mates, oviposits, and starts the cycle again.

References: (Bitzer 1999, Hubbell 1993)

Behavior

Red Admirals are considered to be people-friendly butterflies that will approach and perch on human beings. In regard to other butterflies of their species, however, the male butterflies are known to be territorial in order to find a mate. Male Red Admirals generally claim an elliptically shaped area ranging between 4-13 m wide and 8-24 m long. To protect this area, the males will patrol their territorial boundaries up to thirty times an hour. If an intruder enters their area, they attempt to drive them away by out-flying and out-maneuvering the intruding butterfly.

Red Admirals tend to be fidgety and swift insects that rapidly change direction throughout the course of their flight. The species appears to be most active throughout the spring and fall months, its flight time lasts from March until November. Adult Red Admirals will hibernate throughout the winter months.

References: (Bitzer 1999, Opler et. al 2000)

Food Habits

Mature Red Admirals tend to feed on fermenting fruits, bird droppings, and sap from trees. Adult Red Admirals are fond of nectaring at composite flowers, such as milkweed, aster, and alfalfa. The food sources for the larva include nettles from the genus Urtica, pellitory from the genus Parietoria, and hops from the genus Humulus.

References: (Kellogg 1906, Opler et. al 2000)

Economic Importance for Humans: Negative

The adult stage of the Red Admiral is rarely harmful because mature Red Admiral butterflies feed mainly on nectar. The caterpillar stage, however, can do tremendous damage to the plants that it feeds on. The plants the Red Admiral caterpillars tend to eat include nettles, hops, and pellitory.

Reference: (Opler et. al 2000, Parenti 1977)

Economic Importance for Humans: Positive

The aesthetic beauty of the Red Admiral is one of the most underrated values of this species. Due to the Red Admirals wide-spread range throughout the Americas, Europe, and Asia, their beauty can be enjoyed by many. Red Admirals are often found nectaring at red clover, aster, and buddleia flowers; this combination of flowers and butterflies further enhances their aesthetic value.

References: (Opler et. al 2000, Parenti 1977)

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List: [link]:
Not Evaluated.

US Federal List: [link]:
No special status.

CITES: [link]:
No special status.

State of Michigan List: [link]:
No special status.

The red admiral butterfly may appear to be rare at the outer edges of its range, but it is thought to be a secure species globally.

Reference: (Opler et al. 2000)

Other Comments

The distinctive red-orange band across the wing of the Red Admiral makes this butterfly species easy to distinguish from other species. The common name "Red Admiral" compares this band to the chevrons on a naval uniform.

Reference: (Parenti, 1977)

Contributors

Amanda Downing (author), Southwestern University.
Stephanie Fabritius (editor), Southwestern University.

References

Bitzer, .. September 24, 1999. "The Red Admiral and Painted Lady" (On-line). Accessed February 17, 2000 at http://www.public.iastate.edu/~mariposa/homepage.html.

Holland, .. 1907. The Butterfly Book. New York: Doubleday, Page & Company.

Hubbell, S. 1993. Broadsides from the Other Orders. New York: Random House.

Kellogg, .. 1906. American Insects. New York: Henry Holt and Company.

Opler, .., .. Stanford, .. Pavulaan. January 21, 2000. "Butterflies of North America" (On-line). Accessed February 15, 2000 at http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/DISTR/LEPID/BFLYUSA/usa/224.htm.

Parenti, .. 1977. The World of Butterflies & Moths. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons.

2008/05/11 09:01:42.593 GMT-4

To cite this page: Downing, A. 2000. "Vanessa atalanta" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed May 12, 2008 at http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Vanessa_atalanta.html.

Disclaimer: The Animal Diversity Web is an educational resource written largely by and for college students. ADW doesn't cover all species in the world, nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe. Though we edit our accounts for accuracy, we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts. While ADW staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable, we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control.

Other formats: OWL

Home  ¦  About Us  ¦  Special Topics  ¦  Teaching  ¦  About Animal Names  ¦  Help

Structured Inquiry Search — preview