Attributes of Vanessa virginiensis
American Lady
Vanessa virginiensis (Drury, 1773)
Family: Nymphalidae
Subfamily: Nymphalinae
Identification: Upperside with uneven brown, yellow, and orange pattern. Forewing with a black apical patch, a small white spot in the orange field below the patch, and a white bar at the leading edge of the forewing. Underside of hindwing with two large eyespots. Winter form is smaller and paler, summer form larger with brighter coloring.
Wing Span: 1 3/4 - 2 5/8 inches (4.5 - 6.7 cm).
Life History: During the afternoon, males perch on hilltops or on low vegetation if there are no hills. Females lay eggs singly on the top of host plant leaves. Caterpillars are solitary, living and feeding in a nest of leaves tied with silk. Adults hibernate.
Flight: Three to four broods from May-November, all year in the Deep South and South Texas. It is not known if adults can survive very cold winters; the East may have to be recolonized each year by southern migrants.
Caterpillar Hosts: Plants in the sunflower family everlasting (Gnaphalium obtusifolium), pearly everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea), plantain-leaved pussy toes (Antennaria plantaginifolia), wormwood (Artemisia), ironweed (Vernonia), and burdock (Arctium).
Adult Food: Flower nectar almost exclusively, including dogbane, aster, goldenrod, marigold, selfheal, common milkweed, and vetch.
Habitat: Open places with low vegetation including dunes, meadows, parks, vacant lots, forest edges.
Range: Resident in the southern United States, Mexico, and Central America south to Colombia. Migrates to and temporarily colonizes the northern United States, southern Canada, the West Indies, and Europe. Rare stray to Newfoundland and Labrador.
Conservation: Not required.
NCGR: G5 - Demonstrably secure globally, though it may be quite rare in parts of its range, especially at the periphery.
Management Needs: None reported.
Taxonomy Notes:
Images of Vanessa virginiensis
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The map below displays all verified sighting records in the BAMONA database for this species. Each record is indicated with a yellow dot. The orange dots on the map provide access to information about the 200 most recently verified sightings of this species. In some instances, there are several records at the same location. Use the table view to access these records.
Instructions: Click on the map and move your mouse to pan.
Zoom by using the plus [+] and minus [-] on the left side of the map.
To change which map layers are displayed, click on the plus sign [+] on the right side of the map.
The fifty most recently verified sightings are below. See more recently verified sightings of all species.
| Observation Date | Submitter | Region |
Verified Date |
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April 20, 2012 | Chip Krilowicz | Salem County, New Jersey, United States | May 16, 2012 | Details |
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May 06, 2012 | Ken Cheeks | Burke County, Georgia, United States | May 16, 2012 | Details |
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April 27, 2012 | K Stilwell | Russell County, Virginia, United States | May 16, 2012 | Details |
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May 14, 2012 | roy kidd | Mathews County, Virginia, United States | May 16, 2012 | Details |
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April 21, 2012 | Rick Henle | Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States | May 15, 2012 | Details |
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May 02, 2012 | Mike Peychich | Oakland County, Michigan, United States | May 15, 2012 | Details |
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April 04, 2012 | jftrahan | Bossier Parish, Louisiana, United States | May 14, 2012 | Details |
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May 12, 2012 | Mary M | Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States | May 13, 2012 | Details |
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May 12, 2012 | schmev24 | Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States | May 13, 2012 | Details |
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May 12, 2012 | Lauenstein | Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States | May 13, 2012 | Details |
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May 13, 2012 | Mary M | Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States | May 13, 2012 | Details |
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May 06, 2012 | BeaLaporte | Ontario, Canada | May 09, 2012 | Details |
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May 08, 2012 | Kari | Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States | May 09, 2012 | Details |
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May 05, 2012 | John van Dort | Francisco Morazán, Honduras | May 05, 2012 | Details |
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September 22, 2003 | pcastrovillo | Boise County, Idaho, United States | May 03, 2012 | Details |
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April 26, 2012 | hartmanjl | Boone County, Missouri, United States | May 03, 2012 | Details |
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April 04, 2012 | jftrahan | Bossier Parish, Louisiana, United States | May 02, 2012 | Details |
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April 01, 2012 | flacracker | Adams County, Mississippi, United States | May 02, 2012 | Details |
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April 29, 2012 | tkingsto | Texas, Lubbock County, United States | May 02, 2012 | Details |
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August 27, 2005 | Eugene Karolinskiy | St Joseph County, Indiana, United States | May 01, 2012 | Details |
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May 01, 2007 | Eugene Karolinskiy | St Joseph County, Indiana, United States | May 01, 2012 | Details |
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April 28, 2012 | azukoff | Douglas County, Missouri, United States | May 01, 2012 | Details |
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April 14, 2012 | AJ Trently | Maury County, Tennessee, United States | April 29, 2012 | Details |
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May 09, 2009 | jlp718 | Kings County, New York, United States | April 28, 2012 | Details |
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April 17, 2012 | cheebee32 | Jefferson County, New York, United States | April 28, 2012 | Details |
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April 22, 2012 | Navlor | Ontario, Canada | April 28, 2012 | Details |
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March 29, 2012 | Doug Bruce | Sequatchie County, Tennessee, United States | April 27, 2012 | Details |
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March 29, 2012 | Doug Bruce | Grundy County, Tennessee, United States | April 27, 2012 | Details |
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April 22, 2012 | aarongunnar | Chippewa County, Wisconsin, United States | April 26, 2012 | Details |
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April 20, 2012 | Cheryl Jennings | Hardy County, West Virginia, United States | April 26, 2012 | Details |
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April 02, 2012 | Americus Garden Inn | Georgia, Sumter County, United States | April 23, 2012 | Details |
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April 21, 2012 | dan.in.crystal.lake | McHenry County, Illinois, United States | April 22, 2012 | Details |
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April 14, 2012 | jkopachena | Hunt County, Texas, United States | April 18, 2012 | Details |
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April 14, 2012 | Heather C Miller | Madison County, Florida, United States | April 16, 2012 | Details |
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April 14, 2012 | Cheryl Jennings | Mineral County, West Virginia, United States | April 16, 2012 | Details |
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September 18, 2011 | Chip Krilowicz | Camden County, New Jersey, United States | April 15, 2012 | Details |
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April 11, 2012 | Chip Krilowicz | Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States | April 15, 2012 | Details |
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April 01, 2012 | Ken Cheeks | Edgefield County, South Carolina, United States | April 15, 2012 | Details |
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April 14, 2012 | jim8435wisc | Sauk County, Wisconsin, United States | April 15, 2012 | Details |
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April 15, 2012 | Molanic | Du Page County, Illinois, United States | April 15, 2012 | Details |
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April 11, 2012 | jdupton | Texas, United States, Williamson County | April 13, 2012 | Details |
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April 02, 2012 | Trailmaker | Jefferson County, Ohio, United States | April 13, 2012 | Details |
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April 08, 2012 | Cheryl Jennings | Jefferson County, West Virginia, United States | April 11, 2012 | Details |
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April 07, 2012 | Cheryl Jennings | Hampshire County, West Virginia, United States | April 11, 2012 | Details |
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March 24, 2012 | jamiep | Galveston County, Texas, United States | April 09, 2012 | Details |
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July 22, 2011 | Rick Henle | Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States | April 06, 2012 | Details |
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March 30, 2012 | Chip Krilowicz | Gloucester County, New Jersey, United States | March 31, 2012 | Details |
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March 28, 2012 | Doug Bruce | Loudon County, Tennessee, United States | March 30, 2012 | Details |
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March 10, 2012 | Ken Cheeks | Richmond County, Georgia, United States | March 26, 2012 | Details |
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October 26, 2009 | Chip Krilowicz | Cape May County, New Jersey, United States | March 24, 2012 | Details |
