Red Admiral

Name: Red Admiral

Scientific name: Vanessa atalanta

Category: Minibeasts

Nature Stars: 40

What are nature stars?

About: A fairly large black, white and red butterfly with a wingspan of about 7cm. Adults sometimes hibernate, and may be seen flying on warm days throughout the year, although they are most common in the summer and early autumn. A frequent visitor to gardens where they feed on buddleia and other flowers. The caterpillars feed on stinging nettles.

How to identify: Unmistakeable. A large, mainly black butterfly with broad red stripes on the wings and yello spots near the end.

Where: Found right across the country.

Natural Superpowers

• Predator: 10
• Agility: 70
• Rarity: 20
• Cute factor: 40
• Traveller: 90

Fantastic fact: Most Red Admirals are migrants to the UK from the continent.

Photograph credit: Keith Warmington/www.warmies.co.uk