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 361 - 384 of 11928 verified sightings
Observation date: Aug 12, 2022
Submitted by: ellenjones6
Region: Franklin County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 15, 2022
Observation date: Aug 15, 2022
Submitted by: Macmurrj
Region: Erie County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 15, 2022
Observation date: Apr 21, 2018
Submitted by: Debo Boddiford
Region: Burke County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Aug 13, 2022
Observation date: Aug 10, 2022
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 11, 2022
Observation date: Jul 22, 2017
Submitted by: Sue Bocchicchio
Region: Currituck County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 11, 2022
Observation date: Aug 09, 2022
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 10, 2022
Observation date: Aug 09, 2022
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Sussex County, Delaware, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 09, 2022
Observation date: Aug 06, 2019
Submitted by: Susan McSwain
Region: Nelson County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Aug 07, 2022
Observation date: Jun 06, 2020
Submitted by: Susan McSwain
Region: Nelson County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Aug 07, 2022
Observation date: Jul 09, 2022
Submitted by: Erik Stabl
Region: Iron County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 06, 2022
Observation date: Aug 04, 2022
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 04, 2022
Observation date: Apr 14, 2021
Submitted by: Debo Boddiford
Region: Georgia, Treutlen County, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Aug 04, 2022
Observation date: May 20, 2022
Submitted by: jrfleullan
Region: Effingham County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Aug 04, 2022
Observation date: Aug 03, 2022
Submitted by: pattiep9
Region: Vilas County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 03, 2022
Observation date: Sep 29, 2020
Submitted by: Davi
Region: Washington County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 02, 2022
Observation date: Jun 01, 2022
Submitted by: hasfitz5
Region: Contra Costa County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jul 30, 2022
Observation date: Jul 29, 2022
Submitted by: Pantait
Region: Washington County, Maryland, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 30, 2022
Observation date: Jul 28, 2022
Submitted by: Jacksenzig
Region: Door County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 30, 2022
Observation date: Jul 27, 2022
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 29, 2022
Observation date: Jun 09, 2022
Submitted by: Joceb2005
Region: DuPage County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jul 28, 2022
Observation date: Jul 25, 2022
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 27, 2022
Observation date: Jul 26, 2022
Submitted by: Christine Stanke
Region: Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 27, 2022
Observation date: Mar 10, 2018
Submitted by: Reiner Jakubowski
Region: Heredia, Costa Rica
Verified by: Charlie Doggett
Verified date: Jul 24, 2022
Observation date: Jul 19, 2021
Submitted by: pgrew1@unl.edu
Region: Penobscot County, Maine, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Jul 24, 2022
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