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BugGuide Gathering
Smoky Mountains
University of Tennessee Biological Field Station
August 8-10, 2008
 
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Photo#223866
Red Admiral - Vanessa atalanta

Red Admiral - Vanessa atalanta
Webster, New Hampshire, Merrimack County, New Hampshire, USA
September 10, 2008
Found in my back yard this afternoon, 12:01 p.m. near a blackberry bush. Then it flew over to a milkweed plant where I took the second photo (wings closed). How do you tell male from female?

Images of this individual: tag all
Red Admiral - Vanessa atalanta Red Admiral - Vanessa atalanta

Moved to guide
first image from NH, in fact. I browsed other images in the guide and did not find any labelled male or female (running the cursor over thumbnail images will show up that info in titles, if it's there), a sure sign that the sexes are very similar in this species. Unless you catch one in the act of laying eggs, or are able to examine the abdomen closely, looks like it's nearly impossible to differentiate.

I linked your two images, since they are of the same individual. You can do so yourself by clicking "add image" under the first one before posting the second. Saves filling out the form twice, too.

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