Introduction
There are 11 different species of Red Admiral in the genus Vanessa, plus 10 Painted Lady species.
The Red Admirals (the name is believed to be a corruption of “Red Admirable”) all share the same basic pattern, having a blackish-brown ground colour with a bright orange-red diagonal band on the forewings, a series of white apical spots, and a red submarginal band on the hindwings.
The undersides of all species are cryptically patterned in a manner which affords them excellent camouflage when at rest on tree trunks or on the ground.
Vanessa indica is distributed from India and Sri Lanka to China and Taiwan.
Habitats
This is a mid-elevation species found mostly in temperate hill country at altitudes between about 600-2400m. It can be found in gardens, woodlands and sheltered river valleys.
Lifecycle
The larval foodplants include Urtica, Girardinia, and Boehmeria.
Adult behaviour
To be completed.