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Located

Australian Admiral or Yellow Admiral Butterfly are found right across Australia's mainland and Tasmania. While most commonly sighted in Victoria and the southern regions of Australia, there have been recorded sightings as far as Darwin. They prefer open country, wastelands and gardens where there are stinging nettles. Atlas of Living Australia

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Appearance 

"The male and female butterflies (have a 50mm wingspan) and look very similar. The female is a little darker and has a paler cream-yellow coloured band across the middle of the forewing. The forewing is generally black with a russet coloured area near the body and the pale yellow to cream-white coloured band mid-wing. There is a couple of much smaller white dashes near the tip or apex of the wing. The hind wing is russet with a black border on the outer and upper margins. There is a series of black spots with blue centres positioned near the outer margin of this wing. Underneath, the apex of the forewing and the whole of the hind wing are mottled in grey, brown and black. There is a circular blue marking along the top margin of the forewing as well. Other markings are reasonably similar to the upper surface of the forewing." Hunt, Grund, Keane & Forrest

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"The eggs are light green, ribbed and barrel-shaped. They are usually laid singly, sometimes in pairs, onto the nettle leaves that the larva will eat."Atlas of Living Australia

 

"The caterpillars live in a folded leaf on the nettle food plant. They are grey-green to black in colour and are olive-green underneath the body. They have a yellow band running along the sides and a pale line along the back. They have a couple of rows of pointed, branched spines running along the back as well. As with the caterpillar of the Australian Painted Lady, these spines are not dangerous to humans." Hunt, Grund, Keane & Forrest

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They grow to about 30 mm long before pupating. The pupa is about 20 mm long and is grey or brownish, with sharp bumps and has two white/silver spots on each side. Atlas of Living Australia

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Diet

The adults feed on nectar from available flowers, and sometimes sap seepage from trees. The larvae predominantly eat nettles. Their diet includes Babies tears (Soleirolia soleirolii), Western Pellitory (Parietaria australis), Mallee Smooth-nettle (Parietaria cardiostegia), Smooth-nettle (Parietaria debilis), Scrub or Native Stinging Nettle (Urtica incisa). Robert Powell and Matthew Williams

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