Description
The Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) is a striking butterfly with dark brown, black, and orange-red bands on its wings, along with white spots near the wingtips, and is commonly found in temperate regions across North America, Europe, and Asia. It occasionally has population explosions and on those years, there’s a good chance you will see this just about anywhere. I’ve seen this species in the heart of New York City on an explosion year.
Range
It is found throughout the state.
Similar Species
None.
Host Plants
Various species of willows (Salix spp.) Birch (Betula spp.), Alder (Alnus spp.), Nettles (Urtica spp.), Ribes spp.
Flight
Overwinters as an adult, and can emerge as early as March and can fly until November (depending on the weather)
Additional Resources
Bugguide
iNaturalist
BAMONA
Wisconsin Butterflies