The red admiral is a colorful butterfly with a wingspan of 45 to 50 mm. It was first named as ‘the Admirable’ by the English entomologist Moses Harris in 1766.
The red admiral has a beautiful pattern of orange-red bands and white spots on a dark brown to black background. The undersides of the hind wings are delicately patterned with brown and black, which provides excellent camouflage when this butterfly is roosting on tree trunks.
The butterfly is widely distributed and common throughout mainland Europe and North Africa. In northern Scandinavia and in Britain it is a migrant. The red admiral can be found in a huge range of habitats, usually where the most important caterpillar food plant, the common stinging nettle occurs. Adults are often seen in gardens feeding on nectar and rotten fruit.