V. atalanta rubria Immatures Photos
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Vanessa atalanta rubria ovum
Ovum collected 14 June 2011 at Big Cottonwood Canyon, Salt Lake County, Utah. This data applies to this and the next three slides.
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Red Admiral Ova
Female laid eggs from Shady Oaks Butterfly Farm, Florida.
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Vanessa atalanta rubria Second instar Set to Molt
Red Admiral Second Instar Larva set to molt to third instar. Caterpillar was located 15 June 2011 along Provo River Parkway, Utah County, Utah on stinging nettle.
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Do not move Red Admiral Caterpillars Set to Molt
Red Admiral First and Second instar larvae both set to molt. These larvae were both moved out of nest which can be a bad idea. To move these off old plant and to place on new, cut around the leaf and place on fresh host. Placing set to molt larvae on paper towel also can work; but is not foolproof.
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Red Admiral 2nd Instar Leaf Shelter
Ladies of the genus Vanessa construct leaf shelters similar to some skippers. This is an example of a 2nd instar larval nest on host stinging nettle (Urtica dioica). Note the feeding damage towards the right of this photo. When larvae consume a certain percentage of their nest, they move to another leaf to construct a new nest.
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Vanessa atalanta rubria Third Instar Nest
Red Admiral third instar larva on stinging nettle.
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Red Admiral 3rd Instar Leaf Shelter
Unlike skippers, red admiral larvae will keep frass inside leaf shelter; whereas skippers launch frass away from leaf shelter.
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Vanessa atalanta 3rd Instar
The three sets of yellowish colored spines adjacent to the mid-dorsum on third instar larvae of Vanessa atalanta rubria sometimes disappear after the larva molts to fourth instar.
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Vanessa atalanta rubria Fourth Instar
The three sets of yellowish colored spines adjacent to the mid-dorsum on third instar larvae of Vanessa atalanta rubria sometimes disappear after the larva molts to fourth instar.
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Red Admiral Fourth Instar Larva Set to Molt
Vanessa atalanta rubria fourth instar larva set to molt on host false nettle (Boehmeria cylindrica.)
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Red Admiral Fourth Instar Larva Set to Molt II
Vanessa atalanta rubria fourth instar larva set to molt on host false nettle (Boehmeria cylindrica.) Livestock courtesy Shady Oak Butterfly Farm.
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Red Admiral Fourth Instar Larval Shelter
Vanessa atalanta rubria fourth instar nests with adjacent feeding damage; applies to next two slides as well.
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Red Admiral Fourth Instar Nest
on false nettle.
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Vanessa atalanta rubria Fifth Instar Larva
Like painted ladies and west coast ladies, last instar larvae of the red admiral can be quite variable. This is one larval form shown on false nettle.
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Red Admiral Fifth Instar Larva
Larva located on stinging nettle found in Lambs Canyon, Salt Lake County, Utah.
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Vanessa atalanta rubria Fifth Instar Caterpillar
Lighter colored fifth instar red admiral larva.
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Red Admiral Fifth Instar Larva
Another fifth instar larva with a slightly different coloration. Larva from Florida.
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Vanessa atalanta rubria Fifth Instar Larval Shelter
Red admiral fifth instar larval nest.
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Red Admiral Pupal Nest
Similar to other Vanessa spp., last instar larvae of Vanessa atalanta will construct a loose web shelter to partly protect its pupa from predators. You can see part of the pupa in this photograph.
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