Indian Red Admiral

Indian Red Admiral

Vanessa indica pholoe Fruhstorfer

NYMPHALIDAE - (=Vanessa indica ( Herbst.))

Adult

Upperside dark brown or black. FW with a red central band having 3 large black spots, 2 rows of white apicalspots ( outer row very small ). HW golden brown with marginal red band having small black spots in the center. Underside darker. FW with 3 small blue spots beyond the cell. HW with dark purplish black mottling having slender white margins. Wingspan 55-65mm.

A butterfly of wooded regions with rapid p and down darting flight, frequently settling on the ground with half open wings. Often comes readily to rotten fruits. Abundant in places of its food plant, the Nettle. Flies up to 3000m in the Himalayas and 1000 m in south India and sri lanka.

Larva

Spiny black with dark yellow spots and 4 rows of branched spines.

Feeds mostly in groups on Nettles by tying the adjacent leaves into a ball.

Distribution

India, srilanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, the Philippines and japan.