Red admiral
Vanessa atalanta
Habitat
The Red admiral is found in the Netherlands. This species lives in sunny places rich in nectar. The Red admiral is mainly seen from mid-May to the end of August. In the fall, some of them migrate from the Netherlands to southern Europe to hibernate. Of those that hibernate in the Netherlands, some will die. Nevertheless, the population is currently increasing due to rising temperatures.
Appearance
Life cycle
The Red admiral stays in the egg for 4 to 6 days. When the Red admiral emerges from the egg, this butterfly species is still a caterpillar. The caterpillar lives for 18 to 29 days, after which it pupates. Pupation lasts 9 to 15 days. The red admiral will then live for 240 to 280 days as a Butterfly.
Host plants and nectar plants
Host plants are special plants on which butterflies, such as the Red admiral, lay their eggs. When the eggs hatch, the caterpillars feed on those plants. The caterpillars grow until they are large and strong enough to transform into butterflies. This is why host plants are essential for the survival of butterfly species, because without host plants there would be no caterpillars and ultimately no butterflies.
Each butterfly species has its own favorite plants. The Red admiral (caterpillar), for example, likes to eat Common nettles (Urtica dioica), Dwarf nettles (Urtica urens), and Parietaria (Parietaria).
Most butterfly species, such as the Red admiral, need nectar to survive. Butterflies obtain nectar from nectar plants. Nectar is a syrupy liquid that comes from flowers. This liquid contains a lot of sugar, small amounts of protein, and vitamins. Nectar provides the energy that the red admiral needs to fly.
The Red admiral uses various nectar plants, such as the Butterfly-bush (Buddleja), Eupatorium (Eupatorium), Guelder rose (Viburnum opulus), Common ivy (Hedera helix), Purpletop vervain (Verbena bonariensis), Carduus (Carduus), New England aster (Aster novae-angliae), Orpine (Hylotelephium telephium), and Privet (Ligustrum).
Would you like to give the red admiral a helping hand? Then plant some of these species in your garden.
Caution with some plant species
The pollen of the Dwarf nettle (Urtica urens) can cause an allergic reaction. The plant is not poisonous.
Eupatorium (Eupatorium) is used in natural medicine. This plant has medicinal properties for the liver, urinary tract, kidneys, bones, joints, and digestive system. If large quantities of the whole plant are ingested, it is poisonous.
All parts of the Guelder rose (Viburnum opulus) are poisonous to humans.
Common ivy (Hedera helix) contains berries that are poisonous to humans. Ingestion of the berries causes skin rash, fever, vomiting, abdominal pain, and drowsiness.
The berries of the Privet (Ligustrum) are poisonous to humans.
