Red admiral

A common species that hibernates as an adult and so can be seen on sunny days in winter. Its larvae feed essentially on nettles, where they make a nest from the plant’s leaves. It is a migratory and very mobile species and as such can appear almost anywhere in any type of habitat. As a migrant it is commonest at two times of the year, May-June (corresponding to migrants from North Africa) and in September-October (very evident in Menorca), a period in which central European red admirals head south to hibernate in warmer climes. It is not uncommon to see this species flying low and decidedly over the sea and it may even stop awhile to rest on your boat!
Scientific name: Vanessa atalanta

See all butterflies of Menorca