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 409 - 432 of 11928 verified sightings
Observation date: Jun 07, 2022
Submitted by: Patricia12
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 21, 2022
Observation date: Oct 02, 2021
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jun 20, 2022
Observation date: Oct 28, 2021
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jun 20, 2022
Observation date: Jun 12, 2022
Submitted by: Team-Chick
Region: Virginia, York County, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jun 20, 2022
Observation date: Jun 26, 2021
Submitted by: John LeBlanc
Region: Chesterfield County, Virginia, United States
Verified by: drerbium
Verified date: Jun 19, 2022
Observation date: Jul 17, 1968
Submitted by: one72guy
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 18, 2022
Observation date: Sep 25, 2020
Submitted by: megbee
Region: Saskatchewan, Canada
Verified by: alchem30
Verified date: Jun 15, 2022
Observation date: Sep 25, 2020
Submitted by: megbee
Region: Saskatchewan, Canada
Verified by: alchem30
Verified date: Jun 15, 2022
Observation date: Jun 12, 2022
Submitted by: BarbSendelbach
Region: Burlington County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: BarbSendelbach
Verified date: Jun 14, 2022
Observation date: Jun 13, 2022
Submitted by: John Terpstra
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 13, 2022
Observation date: Jun 10, 2022
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jun 13, 2022
Observation date: May 04, 2022
Submitted by: AJ Trently
Region: Fayette County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 12, 2022
Observation date: Jun 09, 2022
Submitted by: Samela95437
Region: Mendocino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 10, 2022
Observation date: Jun 10, 2022
Submitted by: Allen B
Region: Pickett County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Jun 10, 2022
Observation date: Jun 03, 2022
Submitted by: treys grammy
Region: Benton County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jun 05, 2022
Observation date: May 11, 2022
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 04, 2022
Observation date: May 29, 2022
Submitted by: Allen B
Region: Fentress County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: May 31, 2022
Observation date: May 11, 2022
Submitted by: CaraLundquist
Region: Denton County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: May 31, 2022
Observation date: May 11, 2022
Submitted by: CaraLundquist
Region: Denton County, Texas, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: May 31, 2022
Observation date: May 10, 2022
Submitted by: Bob Jacobson
Region: Chippewa County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: Tom Middagh
Verified date: May 30, 2022
Observation date: May 18, 2022
Submitted by: Samela95437
Region: Mendocino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 29, 2022
Observation date: May 26, 2022
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: May 28, 2022
Observation date: May 24, 2022
Submitted by: ian pepper
Region: Essex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 25, 2022
Observation date: May 24, 2022
Submitted by: jhdwelly
Region: Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 24, 2022
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