AND THEIR TRANSFORMATIONS. 
or 
Gr 
SPECIES 6.—VANESSA ATALANTA. THE RED ADMIRAL, OR ALDERMAN BUTTERFLY. 
Plate xv. fig. 1—4. 
Synonymes.— Papilio Atalanta, Linneus, Haworth, Lewin Papil. | Vanessa Atalanta, Fabricius, Stephens, Curtis. Duncan Brit. 
pl. 7. Donovan vol. viii. pl. 260. Albin, pl. 3. Wilkes, pl. 105. | Butt. pl. 20, fig. 1. 
Harris Aurelian, pl. 6. f. a—h. Pyrameis Atalanta, Hiibner (Verz. bek. Schmett.) 
\ Ammiralis Atalanta, Rennie. 
This remarkably rich-coloured butterfly is one of the commonest of our native species. It varies in the expanse 
of its wings from 2; to 3 inches. The ground colour of the upper surface of the fore wings is intense velvety 
blue-black, brownish at the base ; having an irregular oblique central bar of bright red, slightly curved on the side 
nearest the tip of the wing, and formed as it were of large squarish confluent patches; it does not quite extend 
to the anal angle of these wings. Between the fascia and the apex of the fore wings is a large costal white spot, 
beyond which is a curved row of five white spots, of which the first and fourth are the largest. Still nearer the 
margin of the wing is an obscure bluish wave. The hind wings are blackish brown above, with a broadish red 
margin, in which are four black dots, and there are two obscure confluent blue spots at the anal angle. On the under 
side the fore wings are black, the base with several narrow red and bluish transverse stripes ; the red oblique bar is 
here present but more broken, between which and the large costal white spot is a horse-shoe blue mark. The apex 
is ashy-brown, with two small brown eyes with white centres and two white spots. The hind wings on this 
side are brown and most beautifully mottled with black and grey, with a large triangular pale spot in the middle 
of the costal margin, and two transverse and wedge-shaped discoidal black marks. Near the margin of the wing 
is a row of four obscure eye-like patches. In some specimens the red bar of the fore wings bears a small white 
dot near its hinder extremity : these, according to Mr. Haworth, are the females. 
This species differs from all the foregoing, not only in the form of the wings, of which the anterior are less 
strongly angulated, and the posterior rounded, but also in several other characters, especially the form of the 
palpi and the habit of the caterpillars. Hence Mr. Kirby suggests in the Fauna Boreali Americana (p. 294) that 
it “seems rather to belong to the genus, or perhaps sub-genus, Cynthia ; at any rate it forms a connecting link 
between it and Vanessa.” 
The caterpillar is of a dusky-green colour, with a yellowish dorsal line and also a pale line on each side above 
the feet. The chrysalis is brownish or blackish, beneath grey with golden spots. 
The caterpillar feeds on the common nettle, especially preferring the seeds, and is found in July ; the imago is 
abundant wherever this plant is common—it appears at the beginning of August, and survives the winter, the 
female depositing her eggs in the following spring. 
According to Sepp, the caterpillar shortly after it is hatched selects a nettle-leaf, which it draws together with 
threads into a roundish hollow form, leaving for the most part an opening into the interior both before and behind, 
thus serving both for shelter and food until it is almost devoured, when it selects a fresh leaf and proceeds 
with it in the same manner, one caterpillar only being found on a single leaf, thus indicating a peculiar liking 
for a solitary life ; a circumstance confirmed by the eggs being laid singly and apart, whereas caterpillars hatched 
from eggs deposited in clusters are gregarious. The caterpillar state lasts about five weeks. 
The species appears to be very widely distributed. I have received specimens from North America, which, 
although slightly differing from our native individuals, I cannot regard as specifically distinct. Such is also the 
opinion of Mr. Kirby, who has described his American specimens under this name. 
At also occurs throughout Europe and along the African shores of the Mediterranean. It delights in the 
flowers of the ivy and dahlia, and is a remarkably bold insect, whereof some remarkable instances are mentioned 
in Loudon’s Magazine of Natural History (No. 20). 
