Our own admirals in flight
Photos: Arne Ader
Translation: Liis
Admiral
Red admiral Admiral Vanessa atalanta
The „children“ of the migrant butterflies that arrived in May could be seen already in the last days of July - pretty, freshly hatched imagos. The female butterfly that arrived here in spring laid about a hundred eggs, on the common nettle or the small nettle, and all eggs were attached to the plant one by one. Within a week a caterpillar developed on the plant (sometimes faster) who in turn developed, feeding from the nettle, then became a pupa, finally to be hatched as an imago – the whole development lasted 40-45 days.
When plants flower they feed from nectar; to home or summerhouse gardens they arrive at the ripening of plums and apples when flower nectar in nature begins to run out. In the garden the doings of the butterflies are quite easy to follow; they walk on the two rear pairs of legs and handle their business with the short, brush-like forelegs.
The wing span is 6 centimetres, and the upper surface of the velvety black wings has a pattern of red bands and white flecks. In the back part of the hind wings is a blue patch. The closed wings often stay unnoticed by an observer, but also by an enemy.
Admiral
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