Red Admiral
Vanessa atalanta
Tap image to enlarge · Wikimedia Commons
Overview
The Red Admiral is one of Britain's most dramatic butterflies — velvety black wings with brilliant scarlet bands and white spots. It's a migrant species, with most UK individuals arriving from Southern Europe in spring and building up through the summer. In recent warm years, some overwinter as adults. In autumn, Red Admirals can be seen in numbers on Ivy flowers and overripe fruit. The Sefton Coast's scrub and dune grassland holds them well from midsummer onwards.
At a Glance
| Order | Lepidoptera |
| Family | Nymphalidae |
| Habitat | Dune grassland · Garden · Scrub · Woodland edge |
| Diet | Adults: Buddleia, Ivy flowers, overripe fruit, Bramble. Larvae: Stinging Nettle. |
| UK population | Common; increasing as winters become milder — some now overwinter |
| Sefton Coast | Common from May to October throughout the Sefton Coast; particularly abundant in warm autumns |
| Conservation | UK Green List |
Where to See It
Anywhere on the Sefton Coast — dune grassland, gardens, Bramble and Ivy flowers in autumn.
Identification
Unmistakeable. Deep velvety black with brilliant red-orange band across forewings and red border on hindwings. White spots near wingtips. Blue and red near hindwing edge. Underside dark and cryptic.
Viewing & Photography Tips
Watch Ivy flowers in September and October — Red Admirals feed well into autumn as long as warm weather persists. Overripe Blackberries also attract them.
Conservation Status
UK Green List
This species has a favourable conservation status in the UK and remains an important part of Sefton Coast biodiversity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do Red Admirals come from?
UK Red Admirals are largely migrants from southern Europe and North Africa. They begin arriving from April, building up through the summer as multiple generations breed on nettles. In some years large numbers arrive in autumn from the continent. Increasingly, some individuals survive the winter in Britain as adults, particularly in mild southern areas — a change linked to warming winters.
Related Species
Plan your visit to the Sefton Coast
Marshside RSPB, Formby pinewoods, Ainsdale NNR — practical guides to getting there, what to bring, and the best spots for each season.