Atalanta magnet – Backyard Heroes

Discover the red admiral (Vanessa atalanta), the bold beauty of the European garden. With its striking black wings featuring fiery red bands and white spots, the red admiral is one of Europe's most recognizable and beloved butterflies—a true eye-catcher that transforms any garden into a splash of color and movement. Every spring, the red admiral travels north from Southern Europe and North Africa, seeking nettles for its caterpillars and nectar-rich flowers for itself. A traveler connecting continents, one garden at a time.

This premium magnet features stunning wildlife photography that captures the characteristic black wings with fiery red bands of this beloved migratory butterfly.

Conservation Status: Least Concern

• Population: Widespread in Europe, North Africa, and Asia (stable population)
• Habitat: Gardens, parks, forest edges, and flowery grasslands throughout Europe
• Major threats: Pesticide use, loss of nettles as host plants, climate change
• Ecological role: Essential pollinator of late-season flowers such as ivy, sedum, and asters
• Special feature: Loves rotting and fermenting fruit—red admirals are frequently 'drunk' from fermented apples

Fascinating facts:

• The red admiral migrates north from Southern Europe and North Africa every spring—a journey of thousands of kilometers
• It is one of the few butterflies that is also active in autumn—sometimes still visible in November
• Red admirals love rotting and fermenting fruit—they are frequently found on fallen apples and pears
• Caterpillars feed exclusively on nettles—a good reason to leave a patch of nettles in your garden
• The name "atalanta" refers to the swift huntress from Greek mythology—apt for this agile-flying butterfly
• Some red admirals overwinter in the Netherlands as adult butterflies—hidden in sheds and hollow trees

How to attract red admirals to your garden?

• Plant nectar-rich flowers such as butterfly bush, ivy, sedum, and autumn asters
• Leave a patch of nettles as a host plant for the caterpillars
• Place rotting fruit in late summer—they love fermented apples
• Provide sunny, sheltered spots for warming up
• Avoid pesticides—butterflies are extremely sensitive to chemicals

Read our complete rewilding guide for your garden →

We partner with organizations that make a real, measurable contribution to wildlife protection. Together, we are building a community of wildlife ambassadors—one magnet at a time.

With the purchase of this magnet, we donate €2.00 to wildlife protection – helping you directly contribute to the conservation of the red admiral and its habitat.

Part of our Backyard Heroes collection — transform your fridge into a tribute to the bold traveler of the European garden.