The Royal Entomological Society organises the week, supported by a large number of partner organisations with interests in the science, natural history and conservation of insects. Butterfly and moth wings have scales, as well as creating species' patterns these help control body temperature. Tweet this or follow insectweek. Search form Search.
Insect Week returns in What is Insect Week? Insect Week encourages people of all ages to learn more about insects. Can't wait? Discover insects now News Insect Week dates announced. Great Bug Hunt winners. Shortly before fourth moult it measures In all respects it is similar to the previous stage, but many of the larvae in this stage are uniformly very dark, having the ground colour bronze-black, finely speckled with grey dots, and all the spines shining black; the only other colouring being the lateral line of yellow lunules.
After fourth and last moult, fully grown, the larva measures 35 mm. The first segment is disproportionately small. There are, as in the previous stages, seven longitudinal rows of branched spines, each terminating in a finely pointed bristle or spinelet, similar to those branching from the sides. The spines are arranged medio-dorsal, sub-dorsal, super-spiracular and sub-spiracular.
The medio-dorsal are placed on the fourth to eleventh segments inclusive; the others commence on the second segment. On the anal segment is a blunt, conical wart, paler than the ground colour; the head is bronze-black, beset with numerous shining black and yellowish points, each bearing a fine bristle; eye spots shining black. The surface of the body is granulated and sprinkled with tiny white warts, each supporting a fine white hair.
The whole colouring varies greatly in different specimens. The darkest form has every spine glistening black and the ground colour velvety black, excepting that surrounding the spines, which is deep red-brown, and the lateral series of lemon-yellow lunules, each divided by the segmental divisions. The legs are shining black, the claspers brown and feet buff. Other dark forms have yellow and buff-coloured spines, and are more or less speckled with white on the body, and the anal wart pinkish.
Others are checkered with lemon-yellow, giving a pale greenish-grey ground colour. The last larval stage occupies about nine days. Several leaves are drawn together with silk to form a tent within which the larva pupates.
It hangs head-down, attached to the roof of the tent by the cremaster. The head of the pupa is quite blunt - whereas those of closely-related species often have two prominent horns. This stage lasts between 2 and 3 weeks. Lateral view: The head is blunt; the meso-thorax rises to a point, forming an acute angle, and sunken at the meta-thorax and first abdominal segment; the abdomen forms a continuous curve, terminating in a long cremastral point. The ventral surface forms almost a straight line, excepting the slight concavity at the apex of the wings and abdomen.
Dorsal view: The head is nearly square, with slight lateral, angular points; side of thorax and base of wings angular and projecting, also at the middle of the hind margin, over the bulging third and fourth abdominal segments. The abdomen tapers to the cremastral point. The ground colour is usually a pale buff-brown, more or less covered with a grey powdery bloom, and adorned with beautiful, gilded, metallic ornamentations, which vary considerably in size; in some specimens these form large medio-dorsal patches of gilt; also a medio-dorsal series of gilt points, one on each of the second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh abdominal segments, and a sub-dorsal series of raised conical points, beginning on the meso-thorax and ending on the eighth abdominal segment; those on the meta-thorax and second abdominal segments are most heavily gilded.
There are also smaller super-spiracular points on the first four segments. In some specimens the last on the fourth segment is surrounded by a broad blotch of gold, with greenish and coppery reflections. The whole surface is coarsely granulated. The pupa is suspended by the cremastral hooks to a pad of silk spun upon the under surface of the leaf, which has also the edges and surrounding leaves coarsely spun together with silk, forming a tent enveloping the pupa.
At first the pupa is bronze-brown with dull olive-green wings, and the subsequent metallic spots are at first yellow. Shortly before emergence it gradually deepens in colour, showing the pattern and colouration of the imago.
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Vernacular Names. Vanessa atalanta. When to look for them The adult butterflies are on the wing from spring until as late as November. Red admiral eggs.
Appearance Tiny and green with fine, vertical ridges. Each egg is around the size of a pin head. Where to find them Eggs are laid singly on the edges of young nettle leaves. When to look for them Eggs are usually laid between April and September.
Red admiral caterpillars. Appearance Black and spiny with fine hairs along the body and a pale yellow stripe on either side. Food plants Mostly common stinging nettle but sometimes also hop, small nettle and pellitory-of-the-wall.
Where to find them Red admiral caterpillars can be hard to spot. When to look for them Caterpillars are most active between May and September. Red admiral pupae chrysalis.
Appearance Dull brown and leaf-like with a ridge of peaks along the underside. Where to find them Look for them attached to the underside of nettle leaves, usually with a protective leaf tent around them. When to look for them Look for red admiral pupae between August and October. Spotted red admirals this spring?
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