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 11927 verified sightings
Observation date: May 10, 2026
Submitted by: jkarthei
Region: Morgan County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: May 18, 2026
Observation date: May 15, 2026
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Harford County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 17, 2026
Observation date: May 09, 2026
Submitted by: drmarc60223
Region: Sauk County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: May 10, 2026
Observation date: May 09, 2026
Submitted by: drmarc60223
Region: Sauk County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: May 10, 2026
Observation date: May 03, 2026
Submitted by: cfield
Region: Richmond County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Alex Stach
Verified date: May 05, 2026
Observation date: May 03, 2026
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: May 04, 2026
Observation date: May 02, 2026
Submitted by: TJM321
Region: Gillespie County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 03, 2026
Observation date: Apr 28, 2026
Submitted by: mtobin11
Region: Lake County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 03, 2026
Observation date: Apr 24, 2026
Submitted by: mtobin11
Region: Lake County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Apr 28, 2026
Observation date: Apr 21, 2026
Submitted by: barthsm
Region: Erie County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Apr 23, 2026
Observation date: Apr 20, 2026
Submitted by: drmarc60223
Region: La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Apr 20, 2026
Observation date: Apr 17, 2026
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Aiken County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Apr 19, 2026
Observation date: Apr 16, 2026
Submitted by: dmcgraw
Region: Iowa County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Apr 18, 2026
Observation date: Apr 11, 2026
Submitted by: mstanek
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Apr 12, 2026
Observation date: Oct 03, 2025
Submitted by: Ken Cheeks
Region: Edgefield County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Apr 11, 2026
Observation date: Mar 20, 2026
Submitted by: jamesvonloh
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Apr 06, 2026
Observation date: Mar 05, 2026
Submitted by: millipede
Region: Benton County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Apr 06, 2026
Observation date: Jul 20, 2024
Submitted by: acb22
Region: Houghton County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Apr 03, 2026
Observation date: Aug 24, 2025
Submitted by: rynthae
Region: Staunton, Virginia, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 23, 2026
Observation date: Jul 10, 2024
Submitted by: Team-Chick
Region: Virginia, York County, United States
Verified by: talusrutgers
Verified date: Mar 17, 2026
Observation date: Jul 17, 2024
Submitted by: Graycatbird88
Region: Orange County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Feb 23, 2026
Observation date: Nov 18, 2023
Submitted by: Graycatbird88
Region: Cape May County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 23, 2026
Observation date: Jan 28, 2026
Submitted by: Marta Reece
Region: Grant County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jan 31, 2026
Observation date: Jan 19, 2026
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jan 25, 2026
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