Red Admirals Basking in the Springtime Sun

If you're an ectotherm like these Red Admirals (or an Northern Red-bellied Cooter), nothing warms your heart like sunlight. Be careful about lumping all lepidopterans into the ectothermic camp though; some winter moths are actually considered endothermic. Back when I was a kid we were taught that all birds and mammals were endotherms and every other animal was some sort of ectotherm, which is a mostly-but-not-entirely true simplification.

Red Admirals though do fall squarely into the ectotherm camp; they're not someone you'll meet in the winter. Note that these butterflies look fairly different, with the 2nd picture having faded coloring and somewhat ragged hind wings. It sounds like Red Admirals can brumate as adults, so it's possible that the 1 in the 2nd picture survived the winter while the 1 in the 1st picture may have emerged from its chrysalis within the last month.

Remember, they got the "admiral" part of their name because they were admired, not because they have attained a prestigious naval rank.

May 25, 2023 at Duke Farms
Photo 292818103, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)

May 25, 2023 at Duke Farms
Photo 292818388, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)


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