The red admiral (Vanessa atalanta) apparently comes from a corruption of the original 18th-century name 'red admirable'. A medium-sized butterfly with black wings, red bands, and white spots, the red admiral is found in temperate regions of North Africa, North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and island regions of Hawaii, and the Caribbean. It resides in warmer areas, but migrates north in spring and sometimes again in autumn.
