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 11724 verified sightings
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
Observation date: Aug 12, 2023
Submitted by: eattaway92
Region: Grundy County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Feb 11, 2024
Observation date: Sep 14, 2023
Submitted by: Lady Vine
Region: Providence County, Rhode Island, United States
Verified by: Harry Pavulaan
Verified date: Feb 03, 2024
Observation date: Sep 14, 2023
Submitted by: Lady Vine
Region: Providence County, Rhode Island, United States
Verified by: Harry Pavulaan
Verified date: Feb 03, 2024
Observation date: Sep 14, 2023
Submitted by: Lady Vine
Region: Providence County, Rhode Island, United States
Verified by: Harry Pavulaan
Verified date: Feb 03, 2024
Observation date: May 27, 2023
Submitted by: bonfrey
Region: Socorro County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Feb 01, 2024
Observation date: May 27, 2023
Submitted by: bonfrey
Region: Socorro County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Feb 01, 2024
Observation date: Sep 29, 2018
Submitted by: CincyJeff
Region: Clermont County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jan 13, 2024
Observation date: Oct 20, 2023
Submitted by: katrinaoller
Region: San Mateo County, California, United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Dec 02, 2023
Observation date: Oct 28, 2023
Submitted by: madamirie
Region: Santa Cruz County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Nov 06, 2023
Observation date: Oct 09, 2023
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Orange County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Nov 06, 2023
Observation date: Oct 29, 2023
Submitted by: bkbrott
Region: San Mateo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 30, 2023
Observation date: Oct 17, 2023
Submitted by: Martin Neil UK
Region: San Diego County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 24, 2023
Observation date: Oct 21, 2023
Submitted by: Seth Mueller
Region: San Bernardino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 23, 2023
Observation date: Aug 20, 2023
Submitted by: madamirie
Region: Monterey County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 22, 2023
Observation date: Oct 18, 2023
Submitted by: Don Morrow
Region: Leon County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 18, 2023
Observation date: Sep 16, 2023
Submitted by: NBeaty
Region: Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Oct 09, 2023
Observation date: Jul 03, 2023
Submitted by: Jenmiller81
Region: Jefferson County, Alabama, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Oct 03, 2023
Observation date: Oct 01, 2023
Submitted by: hclancy
Region: Bronx County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Oct 01, 2023
Observation date: Sep 29, 2023
Submitted by: mklucas
Region: King County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Oct 01, 2023
Observation date: Sep 22, 2023
Submitted by: Sometimes
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Sep 22, 2023
Observation date: Sep 21, 2023
Submitted by: xBISsped6
Region: Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 22, 2023
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