The Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) is a brush-footed butterfly in the family
Nymphalidae. Adults of the species are fast, erratic flyers that prefer sap flows on trees and rotting fruit to flower nectar.
Found throughout most of the continental United States, the Red Admiral larvae live on species in the nettle family including stinging nettle, false nettle (Boehmeria cylindrica) and pellitory. Young larvae live in the shelter of folded leaves of their host plants and older larvae will use silken threads to build nests from several leaves for protection.
The chrysalis of the Red Admiral has a beautiful gold undertone that shimmers in the light. Having a slightly reflective surface allows the chrysalis to mirror back the colors of its surroundings, helping to better camouflage the developing butterfly from predators. Several butterfly species in Florida have reflective gold or silver spots on their chrysalis like the Zebra Longwing, Julia, Gulf Fritillary, Queen and Monarch butterflies but none so amazing as the Common Crow (Eupola core) butterfly.
Photo Credit: Adult Red Admiral photo by Melanie Long
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