Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta) is in the Brush-footed Butterflies family (Nymphalidae). Across the U.S., iNaturalist users have logged 101,569 research-grade observations of it in our sample, peaking in July.
Seasonal pattern in the national data: summer visitor / breeder. Counts also reflect when people are out photographing, so compare months within a state rather than across states.
When to photograph Red Admiral: observations by month (U.S.)
About Red Admiral
Vanessa atalanta, the red admiral or previously, the red admirable,is a well-characterized, medium-sized butterfly with black wings, orange bands, and white spots. It has a wingspan of about 2 inches (5 cm). It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in his 1758 10th edition of Systema Naturae. The red admiral is widely distributed across temperate regions of North Africa, the Americas, Europe, Asia, the Caribbean, and New Zealand. It resides in warmer areas, but migrates north in...From Wikipedia via iNaturalist — article, CC BY-SA.
Red Admiral by state
| State | Observations | Peak month | Main season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 23,765 | April | Mar–May |
| California | 10,265 | April | Jan–Nov |
| Illinois | 6,598 | July | Apr–Jul |
| Ohio | 5,885 | July | Apr–Aug |
| New York | 4,834 | July | May–Aug |
| Pennsylvania | 3,515 | July | Apr–Aug |
| Minnesota | 3,121 | July | Jun–Aug |
| Michigan | 2,867 | July | Apr–Aug |
| Wisconsin | 2,847 | July | Apr–Aug |
| Virginia | 2,721 | July | May–Sep |
| Maryland | 2,716 | July | May–Sep |
| Massachusetts | 2,234 | July | May–Jul |
| North Carolina | 2,034 | July | Apr–Oct |
| Indiana | 1,920 | June | Apr–Sep |
| New Jersey | 1,825 | July | May–Aug |
| Florida | 1,728 | April | Feb–May |
| Missouri | 1,579 | April | Apr–Sep |
| Vermont | 1,549 | July | May–Aug |
| Tennessee | 1,309 | July | Apr–Sep |
| Iowa | 1,302 | July | Apr–Sep |
| Oklahoma | 1,156 | April | Apr–Jun |
| Colorado | 1,118 | June | May–Sep |
| Nebraska | 1,085 | June | Apr–Jul |
| Washington | 1,040 | July | Apr–Sep |
| Georgia | 943 | July | Mar–Sep |
| Louisiana | 929 | March | Feb–May |
| Kansas | 883 | April | Apr–Sep |
| Maine | 883 | July | May–Sep |
| Kentucky | 863 | July | Apr–Sep |
| Arkansas | 789 | July | Mar–Oct |
| Oregon | 744 | July | Apr–Sep |
| Alabama | 702 | August | Mar–Oct |
| Connecticut | 653 | July | May–Aug |
| New Hampshire | 639 | May | May–Jul |
| Arizona | 611 | March | Mar–Apr |
| South Dakota | 549 | September | Sep–Oct |
| Delaware | 490 | July | May–Sep |
| South Carolina | 488 | May | Mar–Sep |
| West Virginia | 361 | July | Apr–Sep |
| District of Columbia | 299 | July | May–Sep |
| New Mexico | 297 | July | Apr–Oct |
| Rhode Island | 289 | July | Jul–Aug |
| Mississippi | 278 | April | Mar–Oct |
| North Dakota | 241 | June | May–Sep |
| Utah | 175 | May | Apr–Sep |
| Idaho | 145 | July | Apr–Sep |
| Wyoming | 99 | June | May–Sep |
| Montana | 72 | August | Jun–Sep |
| Nevada | 61 | October | Oct–Oct |
| Hawaii | 58 | July | Jun–Sep |
| Alaska | 15 | September | Aug–Oct |
Main season = months with at least 30% of the state's peak-month count.
Related butterflies (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Monarch
Gulf Fritillary
Common Buckeye
Pearl Crescent
Painted Lady
American Lady
Variegated Fritillary
Queen
Photography tips
- Butterflies are sluggish on cool mornings — the best time for close approaches.
- Keep the sensor parallel to the wings for edge-to-edge sharpness.
- Nectar plants in bloom are reliable places to wait.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Red Admiral?
Nationally, July has the most observations, with the main season from March to September.
Where is Red Admiral most often seen?
The most observations come from Texas, California, Illinois.