Red Admiral Butterfly's
come into the yard sporadically. They have two broods each year one
in the Spring and a Second in the Fall. This particular butterfly
had just about worn itself out. Portions of the wings are missing
and the edges frayed. The latin name for the Red Admiral is Vanessa atlanta.
The Red Admiral eats stinging nettles and
other plants in the Urticaceae family. The stinging nettle would not
likely be the first choice in ornamental plants in my garden, though it is
both edible and a medicinal plant. This
Red Admiral was eating a bit of nectar
from the Strawberry Tree flowers here in this picture.
This
image is available in high resolution and is part of our photo
collection.
