Red Admiral
Red Admirals are visitors from the south. Their numbers fluctuate from year to year, but they are usually common to abundant in our area.
This Red Admiral is nectaring on an echinacea flower (purple coneflower). Red Admirals are particularly fond of coneflowers.
Red Admirals are most numerous in spring and early summer. My earliest sighting is March 25th. Their numbers drop off precipitously after July, but a few stragglers can persist until late in the fall. My personal late sighting is November 11th.
Seen from below, Red Admirals have a red/ blue/ white pattern along the upper edge of their wings. A patriotic butterfly!