Yellow Admiral showing its beautiful colours
Yellow Admiral (or Australian Admiral) Vanessa itea
Wingspan: 50 mm
Sighted: All year
Larval Sightings: Aug 2019; Sept 2019;
Larval Food Plants: URTICACEAE Urtica incisa (Stinging Nettle)
Urtica incisa and *U. urens (Stinging Nettles), Parietaria debilis, *P.judaica, Pipturis argenteus and *Soleirolia soleirolii
This beautiful butterfly is a common visitor to our property flying around our several patches of Stinging Nettles. It frequently settles in patches of sunlight.
The Stinging Nettles flourish around our compost and mulch bays - literally a pain trying to fill a bucket of compost! By the way, Carol makes a nourishing soup in the winter from the nettle leaves which are packed full of minerals and have a long list of health benefits.
The Admiral is a strong and fast flyer and often only the flash of white on its wings lets you recognise who it is flying by.
The caterpillars, when young, curl and web leaves to hide in and only when in their final instars do they sit openly on their food plant.
Wingspan: 50 mm
Sighted: All year
Larval Sightings: Aug 2019; Sept 2019;
Larval Food Plants: URTICACEAE Urtica incisa (Stinging Nettle)
Urtica incisa and *U. urens (Stinging Nettles), Parietaria debilis, *P.judaica, Pipturis argenteus and *Soleirolia soleirolii
This beautiful butterfly is a common visitor to our property flying around our several patches of Stinging Nettles. It frequently settles in patches of sunlight.
The Stinging Nettles flourish around our compost and mulch bays - literally a pain trying to fill a bucket of compost! By the way, Carol makes a nourishing soup in the winter from the nettle leaves which are packed full of minerals and have a long list of health benefits.
The Admiral is a strong and fast flyer and often only the flash of white on its wings lets you recognise who it is flying by.
The caterpillars, when young, curl and web leaves to hide in and only when in their final instars do they sit openly on their food plant.
Yellow Admiral underside
These fast flyers do enjoy the sun
A different view of a newly hatched butterfly
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Yellow Admiral caterpillar near webbed shelter
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Newly hatched - indoors early May
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Yellow Admiral caterpillar pre-pupation
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Yellow Admiral chrysalis looking like dead leaves
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And one gold like a Christmas decoration
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An Admiral hatched from caterpillars rescued a nettle prune
Last annual autumn sighting - Dorrigo Plateau:
Winter sightings @ Claire Cottage: 02/06/18
Winter sightings @ Claire Cottage: 02/06/18
