A Red Admiral Butterfly, Vanessa atalanta, drinking nectar from a Buddleja flower.
Red Admiral Butterflies, fka Red Admirables, are a very widespread species, being found throughout much of Eurasia, north Africa and central and north America as well as on some Hawaiian and Caribbean islands.
They are found throughout the British Isles. They migrate from southern Europe and north Africa in springtime, then the arriving females lay eggs, so there is another ‘wave’ of fresh butterflies in summer. Their main foodplants are nettles, but Pellitory-of-the-wall and Hops are also important food sources in southern England.
They are part of a family of butterflies known as Vanessa, named by Johann Fabricius in 1807. Interestingly, the girls’ name Vanessa was invented by Jonathan Swift for Esther Vanhormrigh, with whom he had a long abnd complicated relationship.
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