The Red Admiral is a bold, strikingly patterned butterfly with velvety black wings crossed by vivid red-orange bands and white spots near the forewing tips. Males establish territories on hilltops and along woodland paths, aggressively intercepting other butterflies and even humans. It migrates seasonally and produces two or more generations in warmer parts of its range.
Best time to see a Red Admiral
The best time to see a Red Admiral is April–July, when about 64% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 109,532 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
Not certain it is a Red Admiral? What bug is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.
Recent Red Admiral sightings near you
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