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 289 - 312 of 11927 verified sightings
Observation date: May 18, 2023
Submitted by: cjsanchez213@ya...
Region: Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: May 18, 2023
Observation date: May 14, 2023
Submitted by: robtluke@aol.com
Region: Moore County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: May 15, 2023
Observation date: May 07, 2023
Submitted by: mtobin11
Region: Lake County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: May 13, 2023
Observation date: May 11, 2023
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Douglas County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: May 11, 2023
Observation date: May 07, 2023
Submitted by: KABerry
Region: Butler County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: May 09, 2023
Observation date: Mar 11, 2023
Submitted by: ezeemonee
Region: Guatemala
Verified by: Doug Taron
Verified date: May 09, 2023
Observation date: Apr 21, 2023
Submitted by: Sheilabean
Region: Texas, Tarrant County, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Apr 28, 2023
Observation date: Apr 26, 2023
Submitted by: KShell
Region: Dixie County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 27, 2023
Observation date: Mar 09, 2023
Submitted by: sdgoebel
Region: Pinellas County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 22, 2023
Observation date: Apr 14, 2023
Submitted by: Sheilabean
Region: Texas, Tarrant County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Apr 21, 2023
Observation date: Apr 09, 2023
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Cumberland County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Apr 09, 2023
Observation date: Mar 27, 2023
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Mar 28, 2023
Observation date: May 24, 2014
Submitted by: lizmcd
Region: Garrett County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Mar 15, 2023
Observation date: Mar 07, 2023
Submitted by: Jay Brasher
Region: Lincoln County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Mar 08, 2023
Observation date: Feb 29, 2020
Submitted by: ObserverofGod'sart
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 27, 2023
Observation date: Apr 09, 2020
Submitted by: ObserverofGod'sart
Region: Bexar County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Feb 27, 2023
Observation date: Feb 23, 2023
Submitted by: John Gibbons
Region: Pinellas County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Feb 23, 2023
Observation date: Sep 05, 2016
Submitted by: Todd Boland
Region: Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Feb 13, 2023
Observation date: Sep 11, 2020
Submitted by: Todd Boland
Region: Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Feb 13, 2023
Observation date: Sep 10, 2022
Submitted by: bonfrey
Region: Socorro County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Feb 05, 2023
Observation date: Oct 02, 2012
Submitted by: Todd Boland
Region: Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Feb 04, 2023
Observation date: Jul 21, 2022
Submitted by: hockeybruce7
Region: Monroe County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Feb 04, 2023
Observation date: Aug 13, 2016
Submitted by: Kindredspiritshilohs
Region: United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 29, 2023
Observation date: Jun 23, 2016
Submitted by: Mary5209
Region: United States
Verified by: curtis.lehman
Verified date: Jan 28, 2023
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