Red Admiral Butterfly #4
by J McCombie
Title
Red Admiral Butterfly #4
Artist
J McCombie
Medium
Photograph - Untouched
Description
This piece has been featured in the FAA Group, "Groovy Butterflies".
The Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) is a well-known colourful butterfly, found in temperate Europe, Asia and North America. Its range is Guatemala north through Mexico and the United States to northern Canada; Hawaii, some Caribbean Islands, New Zealand, Europe, Northern Africa, Asia. Cannot survive coldest winters; most of North America must be recolonized each spring by southern migrants. Males perch, on ridgetops if available, in the afternoon to wait for females, who lay eggs singly on the tops of host plant leaves. Young caterpillars eat and live within a shelter of folded leaves; older caterpillars make a nest of leaves tied together with silk. Caterpillars feed on host plants of the nettle family (Urticaceae) including stinging nettle (Urtica dioica), tall wild nettle (U. gracilis), wood nettle (Laportea canadensis), false nettle (Boehmeria cylindrica), pellitory (Parietaria pennsylvanica), mamaki (Pipturus albidus), and possibly hops (Humulus). Adult Red Admirals prefer sap flows on trees, fermenting fruit, and bird droppings; visiting flowers only when these are not available. Then they will nectar at Buddleia, common milkweed, red clover, aster, and alfalfa, among others. Adults hibernate. The species is resident only in warmer areas, but migrates north in spring, and sometimes again in autumn.
This medium-sized butterfly is identified by its striking dark brown, red, and black wing pattern. More specifically, the dark wings possess orange-red median bands that cross the fore wings and marginal bands on the outer edge of the hind wings; white spots on the dorsal fore wings near the front margin; reddish bars on dorsal surface of all four wings. The winter form is smaller and duller, summer form larger and brighter with an interrupted forewing band. The Red Admiral has a 4550 mm (1.753.0 inch) wing span. The Red Admiral has a very erratic, rapid flight.
Its habitat is in moist woods, yards, parks, marshes, seeps, moist fields. During migrations, the Red Admiral is found in almost any habitat from tundra to subtropics. In North America, the Red Admiral generally has two broods from March through October. Most of North America must be recolonized each spring by southern migrants, but this species over-winters from October to March in south Texas.
Atalanta is a figure in Greek mythology, a strong yet feminine woman who faces obstacles and backlash for refusing to follow gender norms. The Red Admiral is the butterfly featured by Vladimir Nabokov, an amateur lepidopterist, in his novel Pale Fire.
Uploaded
September 25th, 2015
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