Vanessa atalanta (Linnaeus, 1758)
(Red Admiral)

Taxonomic hierarchy:
SpeciesVanessa atalanta (Red Admiral)
GenusVanessa (red admirals and painted ladies)
TribeNymphalini (nymphalid butterflies)
SubfamilyNYMPHALINAE (nymphalid butterflies)
FamilyNYMPHALIDAE (brown, fritillary and vanessid butterflies)
SuperfamilyPAPILIONOIDEA (butterflies)
SuborderGLOSSATA (a suborder of moths)
OrderLEPIDOPTERA (butterflies and moths)
Division Endopterygota (bees, beetles, flies, moths and other insects with wings developing internally)
InfraclassNeoptera (bees, beetles, flies, grasshoppers, moths and other advanced insects)
SubclassPTERYGOTA (bees, beetles, dragonflies, flies, grasshoppers, moths and other winged insects)
ClassINSECTA (true insects)
SubphylumHEXAPODA (insects and other 6-legged organisms)
PhylumARTHROPODA (arthropods)
SuperphylumECDYSOZOA (skin shedders)
CladeBilateria (bilaterally symmetrical animals)
SubkingdomEUMETAZOA (metazoans)
KingdomANIMALIA (animals)
DomainEukaryota (eukaryotes)
LifeBIOTA (living things)
Records of Vanessa atalanta (Red Admiral) :
1: Vanessa atalanta (Red Admiral)
11 Jun 2014 OSGR: SU30 50° 50’ N, 1° 30’ W Vice County: South Hants (VC 11) England
feeding on exudations from a goatmoth oak
Image 1: Attracted to exudations from a goatmoth oakImage 2: Attracted to exudations from a goatmoth oak (2)
2: Vanessa atalanta (Red Admiral)
17 Jul 2010 OSGR: SU56 51° 20’ N, 1° 10’ W Vice County: Berks (VC 22) England
Visiting Buddleia
Image 1: Wings almost together - dorsal viewImage 2: Wings apart - dorsal viewImage 3: Wings apart - dorsal view (2)Image 4: Wings apart - dorsal view (3)Image 5: Wings apart - dorsal view (4)Image 6: Wings apart - dorsal view (5)Image 7: Wings apart - dorsal view (6)Image 8: Wings apart - dorsal view (7)Image 9: Wings apart - dorsal view (8)Image 10: Wings together - dorso-lateral viewImage 11: Wings together - dorso-lateral view (2)
3: Vanessa atalanta (Red Admiral)
16 Jul 2006 OSGR: SU66 51° 20’ N, 1° 10’ W Vice County: North Hants (VC 12) England
visiting dog dung
Image 1: Butterfly taking salts from dog dungImage 2: Butterfly taking salts from dog dung - close-up
4: Vanessa atalanta (Red Admiral)
25 Jun 2006 OSGR: TQ21 50° 50’ N, 0° 10’ W Vice County: East Sussex (VC 14) England
Larva on nettle
Image 1: Larva - lateral view - close-upImage 2: Larva - lateral view - close-up (2)
5: Vanessa atalanta (Red Admiral)
25 Jun 2006 OSGR: TQ21 50° 50’ N, 0° 10’ W Vice County: East Sussex (VC 14) England
Pale larva on nettle
Image 1: Larva - detail - lateral view - close-upImage 2: Larva - dorsal view - close-upImage 3: Larva - dorsal view - close-up (2)Image 4: Larva - dorsal view - close-up (3)Image 5: Larva - dorsal view - close-up (4)Image 6: Larva - dorsal view - close-up (5)Image 7: Larva - dorsal view - close-up (6)Image 8: Larva - lateral view - close-upImage 9: Larva - lateral view - close-up (2)Image 10: Larva - anterior part - lateral view - close-up - enlargedImage 11: Larva - anterior part - lateral view - close-up - enlarged (2)Image 12: Larva - head - anterior view - highly enlargedImage 13: Larva - head - anterior view - highly enlarged (2)Image 14: Larva - head - antero-dorsal view - highly enlargedImage 15: Larva - head - antero-lateral view - highly enlargedImage 16: Larva - head - lateral view - highly enlargedImage 17: Larva - head - lateral view - highly enlarged (2)
6: Vanessa atalanta (Red Admiral)
17 Aug 2003 OSGR: SY59 50° 50’ N, 2° 40’ W Vice County: Dorset (VC 9) England
Image 1: Red admiral on reserve signImage 2: Red admiral on reserve sign (2)
7: Vanessa atalanta (Red Admiral)
17 Aug 2003 OSGR: SY59 50° 50’ N, 2° 40’ W Vice County: Dorset (VC 9) England
Feeding at flowers of Hemp Agrimony
Image 1: Top view - wings openImage 2: Top view - wings open (2)
8: Vanessa atalanta (Red Admiral)
2 Aug 2003 OSGR: SU56 51° 20’ N, 1° 10’ W Vice County: Berks (VC 22) England
at Buddleia flowers
Image 1: Upper side
9: Vanessa atalanta (Red Admiral)
20 Jul 2003 OSGR: SU56 51° 20’ N, 1° 10’ W Vice County: Berks (VC 22) England
on Buddleia flowers
Image 1: Top view - wings apartImage 2: Wings half open - postero-lateral viewImage 3: Wings together - lateral viewImage 4: Wings together - lateral view (2)
10: Vanessa atalanta (Red Admiral)
28 Oct 1999 OSGR: SX84 50° 20’ N, 3° 40’ W Vice County: South Devon (VC 3) England
Image 1: Sunning on lichen-covered wallImage 2: Sunning on lichen-covered wall (2)
11: Vanessa atalanta (Red Admiral)
17 Jul 1976 OSGR: SU93 51° 10’ N, 0° 40’ W Vice County: Surrey (VC 17) England
Visiting Buddleia
Image 1: Rear three-quarter view - wings togetherImage 2: Top view - wings apart - close-upImage 3: Wings together - lateral viewImage 4: Wings together - lateral view (2)
12: Vanessa atalanta (Red Admiral)
2 Sep 1973 OSGR: SE75 54° 0’ N, 0° 50’ W England
Image 1: Top view - wings open

Identification Works

AuthorYearTitleSource
Blackburn, F. 2002 Red Admiral Vol 13, No. 3 Page: 204
Brereton, T., Roy, D., & Greatorex-Davies, N. 2006 Thirty Years and Counting - the contribution to conservation and ecology of butterfly-monitoring in the UK British Wildlife Vol 17, No. 3: 162-170.

Vanessa atalanta (Red Admiral) may also be included in identification literature listed under the following higher taxa:

NBNNBN (data.nbn.org.uk) has a distribution map for Vanessa atalanta (Red Admiral)
BioInfoBioInfo (www.bioinfo.org.uk) has 3 host/parasite/foodplant and/or other relationships for Vanessa atalanta (Red Admiral)
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