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.
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Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 11745 verified sightings
Observation date: May 12, 2024
Submitted by: jryan1022
Region: Suffolk County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: May 12, 2024
Observation date: Apr 26, 2024
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Hardin County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 12, 2024
Observation date: May 11, 2024
Submitted by: sasd
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 12, 2024
Observation date: May 11, 2024
Submitted by: AnnL
Region: Todd County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: May 11, 2024
Observation date: May 09, 2024
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Texas, Nueces County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 10, 2024
Observation date: May 07, 2024
Submitted by: TParadox22
Region: Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 08, 2024
Observation date: May 03, 2024
Submitted by: Chrysanthemum
Region: Eau Claire County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: May 04, 2024
Observation date: May 03, 2024
Submitted by: Bob Jacobson
Region: Chippewa County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: May 04, 2024
Observation date: Apr 30, 2024
Submitted by: karlkrause
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 02, 2024
Observation date: Apr 22, 2024
Submitted by: MSEmbeck
Region: Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: May 02, 2024
Observation date: May 01, 2024
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: May 02, 2024
Observation date: Apr 29, 2024
Submitted by: Ken Cheeks
Region: Edgefield County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Apr 29, 2024
Observation date: Apr 19, 2024
Submitted by: Ken Cheeks
Region: Edgefield County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Apr 19, 2024
Observation date: Apr 16, 2024
Submitted by: mpav
Region: New York County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Apr 17, 2024
Observation date: Apr 14, 2024
Submitted by: seemayer
Region: Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Apr 16, 2024
Observation date: Apr 12, 2024
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Grundy County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Apr 16, 2024
Observation date: Apr 14, 2024
Submitted by: hclancy
Region: Bronx County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Apr 15, 2024
Observation date: Apr 14, 2024
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Apr 15, 2024
Observation date: Apr 05, 2024
Submitted by: Pkleinsasser
Region: Flagler County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 08, 2024
Observation date: Apr 05, 2024
Submitted by: Ken Cheeks
Region: Edgefield County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Apr 06, 2024
Observation date: Apr 03, 2024
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: San Luis Obispo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Apr 04, 2024
Observation date: Mar 17, 2024
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 17, 2024
Observation date: Mar 08, 2024
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 11, 2024
Observation date: Feb 22, 2024
Submitted by: mcvaugh
Region: Contra Costa County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Feb 22, 2024
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