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 265 - 288 of 11927 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 02, 2023
Submitted by: lfiske
Region: Kings County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 02, 2023
Observation date: Jun 30, 2023
Submitted by: Dobber31
Region: Benton County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jul 01, 2023
Observation date: Jun 05, 2023
Submitted by: Pheasantboy77
Region: St. Louis County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 30, 2023
Observation date: Jun 05, 2023
Submitted by: Pheasantboy77
Region: St. Louis County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 30, 2023
Observation date: Jun 27, 2023
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 27, 2023
Observation date: May 18, 2023
Submitted by: Bleem
Region: Marquette County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: Jun 26, 2023
Observation date: Oct 29, 2022
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Ingham County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: Jun 26, 2023
Observation date: Jun 17, 2023
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 25, 2023
Observation date: Jun 21, 2023
Submitted by: bekkfree
Region: Cowley County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 21, 2023
Observation date: Jun 19, 2023
Submitted by: bekkfree
Region: Cowley County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 19, 2023
Observation date: Jun 19, 2023
Submitted by: inthelikeness
Region: Comanche County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 19, 2023
Observation date: Jun 14, 2023
Submitted by: hasfitz5
Region: Contra Costa County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 18, 2023
Observation date: Jul 13, 2019
Submitted by: Keith Myrom
Region: Mille Lacs County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 16, 2023
Observation date: Jun 14, 2023
Submitted by: Creston cottage
Region: Kent County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 15, 2023
Observation date: Jun 05, 2023
Submitted by: Blue Swallowtail
Region: Adams County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: Emily Geest
Verified date: Jun 12, 2023
Observation date: May 24, 2023
Submitted by: scream of the b...
Region: Shelby County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 07, 2023
Observation date: May 31, 2023
Submitted by: seemayer
Region: Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 04, 2023
Observation date: Apr 15, 2023
Submitted by: amparrish15
Region: Lake County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 03, 2023
Observation date: May 23, 2023
Submitted by: seemayer
Region: Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 01, 2023
Observation date: May 23, 2023
Submitted by: seemayer
Region: Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 01, 2023
Observation date: May 10, 2023
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 22, 2023
Observation date: May 20, 2023
Submitted by: Dennis Forsythe
Region: Charleston County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: May 22, 2023
Observation date: May 21, 2023
Submitted by: Bob Jacobson
Region: Chippewa County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: May 21, 2023
Observation date: May 11, 2023
Submitted by: mtobin11
Region: Lake County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 21, 2023
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