Latin Name:  Vanessa atalanta (Fruhstorfer, 1909)
                        (R. Bercha, det.)

Wingspan:  45 - 55 mm

Range:  Throughout Alberta

Habitat:  Various

Preferred Flowers/Food: Thistles and Alfalfa

Time of year seen:  May to October (Additional Sightings)

Caterpillar's Diet: Nettles

Other:  The coloration of Red admiral caterpillars varies from black background with yellow/white speckles (photos 1 & 2) to white with black mottling (photo 3).  Both color morphs have pale yellow lateral stripes.  The preferred host plant is nettles - Urtica spp. (Bird, 1995).  In Alberta they can be found on Stinging Nettle (Urtica urens & gracilis).