Red Admiral butterfly Last year, the first Red Admiral butterfly showed up in our neighborhood on April 25th; this year, I spotted the first Vanessa atalanta a bit later, May 4th, to be exact. But except for the similar debut times, 2012 and 2013 couldn't have been more different for the species. Last year. there was a massive Red Admiral invasion, as the butterflies flew north in huge numbers from their southern haunts; I saw these pretty butterflies every day, from their arrival in April to their departure in October. This year, after that initial sighting, I've seen perhaps a half dozen. This one showed up in the morning and was happy to give me a dual look—and photo op—of the black and orange front of the wings, and the camouflage pattern of their back. I'd better be on the lookout for V. atalanta. The arrival of this one could signal the start of a mini-invasion.