Bug FAQRed Admiral
Vanessa atalanta · Order: Lepidoptera · Family: Nymphalidae
Also called: Red admiral butterfly
The red admiral has a wingspan of roughly 4.4 to 6.4 cm (about 2 inches). It is recognized by a black background on the forewing with an angled red band and a set of white spots near the tip, plus a striking black, orange, and white pattern overall. Caterpillars feed on stinging nettle and false nettle in moist woodlands, while adults sip nectar from flowers such as Buddleja and also eat overripe fruit.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
The forewing shows an oblique vermilion band on a black ground and a group of white sub-apical spots. Overall wing pattern is black, orange, and white.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Wingspan is about 2 inches (5 cm). Typical range is 1.75 to 2.50 inches (4.4 to 6.4 cm).
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
Found in moist woodlands; caterpillars mainly feed on stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) and also on false nettle (Boehmeria cylindrica).
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
Adults drink nectar from flowering plants such as Buddleja and also feed on overripe fruit. Caterpillars eat stinging nettle and false nettle.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
Larvae grow to about 1 inch (2.5 cm) long. In North America there are usually two generations from March through October.
Source: Wikipedia
When you see it
In North America it typically has two broods from March to October.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it is found in the US
Recorded in 51 of 51 states and DC. Most records: Texas, California, Illinois, Ohio, New York, Vermont, Pennsylvania, Michigan.
Darker = more records. Counts are museum and citizen-science records, not population size.
Source: GBIF
Status: native in North America; native in United States; native in Canada. Source: iNaturalist
Months it is reported in the US
Source: GBIF
More photos
Questions people ask
What do red admiral caterpillars eat?
They feed on stinging nettle and false nettle in moist woodlands.
Source: Wikipedia
How many generations do red admirals have in North America?
Usually two broods from March through October.
Source: Wikipedia
Where can I see red admirals in the wild?
They occur across temperate regions of North Africa, the Americas, Europe, Asia, the Caribbean, and Hawaii.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Nymphalidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanessa_atalanta
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · ITIS · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-22 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.