Red admiral
Vanessa atalanta
Butterfly
Fast, dark butterfly with orange bands and white forewing spots, found across North America and one of the most familiar garden butterflies. Larvae feed on plants in the nettle family (Urticaceae), chiefly stinging nettle (Urtica dioica) and false nettle (Boehmeria cylindrica). Adults are nectar generalists on many forbs but also feed heavily on tree sap, fermenting fruit, and dung, so they are not strictly flower-dependent.
Conservation
Globally secure and widespread; not a species of conservation concern. The IUCN Red List assesses it as Least Concern.
Plan for this species
Location-fit plant set for Chicago, IL: host and specialist plants first, then nectar, fruit, seed, foliage, and shelter plants that still fit the current and mid-century climate read.
1 essential relationship / 5 supporting plants
Host/specialist links: 1
Forage/pollination links: 5
Shelter links: 0
Relationship roles: 2
Common hops
Essential / Larval host plants
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center names Red Admiral among the butterflies that use common hops as a larval host; this is a source-backed relationship for Humulus lupulus var. lupuloides.
Hyssop
Supporting / Nectar plants
Red-admiral butterflies also nectar at the long-blooming blue spikes, which keep generalist butterflies coming through summer.
Orpine
Supporting / Nectar plants
Red admirals nectar at the autumn flowers, drawn to the broad landing platform of the flat heads.
Bluebeard
Supporting / Nectar plants
Red admiral butterflies are a plausible late-summer nectar visitor in the European and eastern North American portions of the range, where the bloom timing coincides with the butterfly's late-season flight.
Boneset
Supporting / Nectar plants
Butterfly bush
Supporting / Nectar plants
Plants in the catalog
Larval host plants · 1
The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center names Red Admiral among the butterflies that use common hops as a larval host; this is a source-backed relationship for Humulus lupulus var. lupuloides.
Nectar plants · 25
Red admiral butterflies are a plausible late-summer nectar visitor in the European and eastern North American portions of the range, where the bloom timing coincides with the butterfly's late-season flight.
Red admirals and other nectar-feeding butterflies visit the long-blooming blue flowers in warm-climate gardens.
Red admiral butterflies visit hawthorn flowers for nectar in spring; the species is a Holarctic butterfly whose European range overlaps fully with C. monogyna.
Red admirals also nectar at the open blue heads, drawn to a strong nectar plant among the summer meadow flowers.
Red admiral butterflies (Vanessa atalanta) are active during the spring bluebell bloom window in the species' Atlantic European range and are plausibly occasional nectar visitors, though bumblebees are the documented primary pollinators.
Red admiral butterflies (Vanessa atalanta) visit holly flowers for nectar during their spring flight in Europe; consistent with Wikipedia's note that small butterflies forage holly flowers.
Red admirals are commonly observed foraging ivy flowers in the UK and Europe in autumn; a well-established field observation for the European native range.
Red admirals, present as early migrants or overwintered adults in mild climates, visit early-spring nectar sources such as Ribes sanguineum in both its native range and cultivated European gardens.
Red admirals and other nectar-feeding butterflies visit the nectar-rich steel-blue heads at the height of summer, when globe thistle is a magnet for pollinators.
Red admirals and related Vanessa butterflies are commonly seen at the flowers; the shrub is widely described in European horticultural literature as butterfly-attracting.
Red-admiral butterflies also nectar at the long-blooming blue spikes, which keep generalist butterflies coming through summer.
Vanessa atalanta adults are recorded nectaring on ornamental cherry flowers in European gardens during early spring emergence.
Wikipedia notes the species attracts butterflies generally; red admirals (Vanessa atalanta), a Holarctic species, are plausible nectar visitors, though Wikipedia does not name this species specifically.
Red admirals nectar at the autumn flowers, drawn to the broad landing platform of the flat heads.
Red admiral butterflies emerging from overwintering are active in spring when candytuft blooms and visit open white flowers for nectar.
Red admiral (Vanessa atalanta) is a commonly observed nectar visitor to Centranthus ruber flower clusters in European gardens.
Wikipedia records Lepidoptera among the pollinators of Armeria maritima; the Holarctic red admiral is commonly observed nectaring on coastal wildflowers including thrift in its native British and European habitats.
Late-flying butterflies including red admirals visit the late-season bloom; Wikipedia lists butterflies among the pollinators, and the red admiral is one of the few European butterflies active into October.
Red admirals occasionally nectaring on early Amelanchier flowers have been recorded in northern Europe, though the tree is not a primary host or key nectary for this species.
Fruit plants · 1
Shelter plants · 2
Adults of overwintering nymphalids such as the red admiral shelter in the crevices and held winter foliage of mature beech and beech hedges.
Red admiral and other Vanessid butterflies overwinter and shelter in the bark crevices and leaf litter beneath mature Scots pine, particularly in European heathland contexts.
Range
Wide-ranging across North America from Canada south through Mexico to Guatemala. Northern populations are migratory, moving south in autumn; produces one brood in the north and two or more broods (roughly March to October) farther south.
Sources & citations
Cite this page
Use this citation for the Plotwright wildlife record. Use the source cards below to explore the references that informed its taxonomy, range, conservation, host plants, foraging, and habitat.
Plotwright. (n.d.). Red admiral (Vanessa atalanta). Retrieved 2026, August 20, from https://plotwright.com/wildlife/red-admiral
Sources used for this record
This record is compiled from the sources below.
BAMONA: Red admiral
Species profile for range, brood timing, nettle hosts, and adult food sources.
MDC Field Guide: Red admiral
State agency species account used for identification detail, larval and adult food, and life-cycle timing. Missouri-scoped, so it is not cited for continental range.
Wikipedia: Vanessa atalanta
Corroborating reference for global range, Urticaceae host use, nectar/sap/fruit feeding, and Least Concern status.
GBIF: Vanessa atalanta
GBIF backbone matches the species Vanessa atalanta exactly as an accepted taxon (key 1898286).
iNaturalist: Vanessa atalanta
iNaturalist matches the species Vanessa atalanta exactly (taxon 49133).