Red Admiral Caterpillar
Vanessa atalanta (caterpillar)
This spiny caterpillar lives mostly on stinging nettles, often pulling leaves together with silk to make a small shelter. It feeds by chewing nettle leaves and tends to stay hidden while it grows through several molts. Its dark body and branching spines help discourage small predators, though the spines are mainly defensive rather than truly venomous. A notable habit is its use of folded leaf tents, which protect it while it rests and feeds.
- Type
- Stealth
- Conservation status
- LC
Growth chain
- Red Admiral Caterpillar
- Red Admiral Chrysalis
- Red Admiral