Red Admiral Butterfly

Here's a Red Admiral Butterfly we spotted at the 2020 Duke Farms butterfly count. This is a very widespread species of butterfly, living in much of North and South America, Europe, Asia, and some of Africa. Though the British consider them to be large butterflies, I'd put them in more of a medium category.

Like most butterflies/moths, they can only be as widespread as their host plant(s), and the Red Admiral uses most plants in the nettle family. In my area, a common (though not entirely popular) nettle is the Stinging Nettle, and a lot of times you'll see them in the vicinity of this skin-irritating plant.

This is a butterfly that might land on you. They don't bite, but the salts in your sweat is an important nutrient for these butterflies. Consider letting them drink; you weren't using that sweat anymore anyway.

July 25 at Duke Farms


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