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.
Comments: NULL
Verified Sightings
Displaying 1 - 24 of 11614 verified sightings
Observation date: Dec 21, 2022
Submitted by: Erik Stabl
Region: Hillsborough County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Dec 22, 2022
Observation date: Nov 24, 2022
Submitted by: mstanek
Region: Del Norte County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Dec 12, 2022
Observation date: Nov 08, 2022
Submitted by: cjgoin
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Nov 21, 2022
Observation date: Nov 06, 2022
Submitted by: bchensel
Region: Miami County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Nov 07, 2022
Observation date: Oct 30, 2022
Submitted by: Martin Neil UK
Region: Yavapai County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Nov 05, 2022
Observation date: Oct 31, 2022
Submitted by: theskyeworld
Region: Bastrop County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Nov 01, 2022
Observation date: Oct 30, 2022
Submitted by: Dobber31
Region: San Mateo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 31, 2022
Observation date: Oct 27, 2022
Submitted by: Sheilabean
Region: Texas, Tarrant County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 28, 2022
Observation date: Jul 29, 2022
Submitted by: Cardinal52
Region: Marathon County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Oct 24, 2022
Observation date: Apr 27, 2020
Submitted by: Sheilabean
Region: Texas, Tarrant County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 22, 2022
Observation date: Apr 06, 2020
Submitted by: Sheilabean
Region: Texas, Tarrant County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Oct 22, 2022
Observation date: Oct 18, 2022
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Oct 19, 2022
Observation date: Sep 15, 2022
Submitted by: ddrudis
Region: Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 14, 2022
Observation date: Jul 14, 2022
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Santa Barbara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 13, 2022
Observation date: Oct 11, 2022
Submitted by: Zach Eckert
Region: King County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Oct 12, 2022
Observation date: Oct 11, 2022
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Oct 12, 2022
Observation date: Aug 25, 2022
Submitted by: Seth Mueller
Region: San Bernardino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 09, 2022
Observation date: Sep 04, 2022
Submitted by: Marta Reece
Region: Lincoln County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Oct 07, 2022
Observation date: Oct 01, 2022
Submitted by: cjgoin
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Oct 04, 2022
Observation date: Sep 16, 2022
Submitted by: jrtindall
Region: Mercer County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Oct 03, 2022
Observation date: Oct 02, 2022
Submitted by: EvSherr
Region: Lane County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 02, 2022
Observation date: Sep 18, 2022
Submitted by: DJ Jones
Region: Manistee County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: Sep 29, 2022
Observation date: Sep 28, 2022
Submitted by: L.Hale
Region: Texas, Lubbock County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 29, 2022
Observation date: Sep 05, 2022
Submitted by: Blue Swallowtail
Region: Adams County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: Emily Geest
Verified date: Sep 25, 2022
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