red admiral |
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Vanessa atalanta |
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| Order | Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths) |
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| Superfamily | Papilionoidea (Butterflies [excluding skippers]) |
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| Family | Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies) |
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| Subfamily | Nymphalinae (True Brushfoots) |
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| Flight | Two broods from late April to October. |
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| Habitat | Moist woods, yards, parks, marshes, seeps, moist fields. |
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| Larval Hosts | Plants in the nettle family (Urticaceae), including Stinging Nettle, Canadian Woodnettle , Smallspike False Nettle, Pennsylvania Pellitory, and possibly Common Hop. |
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| Adult Food | Prefers sap flows on trees, fermenting fruit, and bird droppings, visiting flowers only when these are not available. Then they will nectar at Common Milkweed, Red Clover, aster, and Alfalfa, among others. |
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| Images | Click on an image for a larger view. | ||||||
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