Red Admirals 2/10/14

Bigbadbob · Status: Offline

Red Admirals 2/10/14

craggy · Status: Offline

Hi Bob

Just found this on the net

Red admiral biology

Red admirals arriving in Britain following migration have usually mated before commencing their journey. Those that have overwintered in Britain mate after emergence.

Females lay their eggs singly on nettle leaves, and after about a week the eggs hatch ⁽³⁾. The caterpillars create a tent-like shelter from nettle leaves, in which they feed and pupate⁽³⁾. The adults emerge after two to three weeks ⁽³⁾; they either hibernate or migrate southwards towards the end of summer. In southern Britain, it has been discovered that eggs and caterpillars are able to survive the winter, and emerge in the adult form in spring ⁽²⁾.

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Red admiral range

This common migratory species has a wide distribution throughout Britain. Adults emerge after hibernation in January and March, and are joined by butterflies that have migrated from North Africa and southern Europe between May and August. As the summer progresses, further immigrants arrive from Spain and Portugal, and later still from central Europe and France ⁽²⁾. After mid-August red admirals in Britain begin to move southwards and the majority spend the winter in warmer climes ⁽²⁾. Globally, this butterfly has a wide distribution, and is known across central and southern Europe, Asia, North Africa and North America ⁽²⁾.

Look like they are doing Bob

Cheers Craggy