Red admirals march in early

Every summer a small number of red admiral butterflies, also known as Vanessa atalanta, make their way to Sudbury — they usually don't turn up until mid-May, and there usually aren't many of them.

This summer, however, Sudburians may be seeing more of the vibrant fluttering creatures.

According to Laurentian University Biologist Chris Blomme, the butterflies have been spotted already, as of April 25, and it seems they are appearing in greater numbers.

“On a lawn filled with dandelions, 10of these insects were feeding on nectar,” Blomme reported.

Some of the factors that could have contributed to their early arrival are strong winds literally “blowing them up” here and a lack of parasite predators.

“Hopefully, it's not an environmental cue that's knocking them out of whack,” Blomme said, although it's not likely a contributing factor.

Adult red admirals are known for their ability to withstand long travels, feeding off nectar from flowers.

As they continue making their way north, Blomme said Sudburians can look forward to catching more glimpses of the red admirals.

For more information about them, or to track a sighting, visit ebutterfly.com.

Posted by Arron Pickard