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 25 - 48 of 11733 verified sightings
Observation date: Oct 21, 2023
Submitted by: Seth Mueller
Region: San Bernardino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 23, 2023
Observation date: Aug 20, 2023
Submitted by: madamirie
Region: Monterey County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 22, 2023
Observation date: Oct 18, 2023
Submitted by: Don Morrow
Region: Leon County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 18, 2023
Observation date: Sep 16, 2023
Submitted by: NBeaty
Region: Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Oct 09, 2023
Observation date: Jul 03, 2023
Submitted by: Jenmiller81
Region: Jefferson County, Alabama, United States
Verified by: stomlins701
Verified date: Oct 03, 2023
Observation date: Oct 01, 2023
Submitted by: hclancy
Region: Bronx County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Oct 01, 2023
Observation date: Sep 29, 2023
Submitted by: mklucas
Region: King County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Oct 01, 2023
Observation date: Sep 22, 2023
Submitted by: Sometimes
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Sep 22, 2023
Observation date: Sep 21, 2023
Submitted by: xBISsped6
Region: Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 22, 2023
Observation date: Sep 06, 2023
Submitted by: Kuccamunga
Region: Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 09, 2023
Observation date: Aug 27, 2023
Submitted by: Patricia12
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Sep 06, 2023
Observation date: Aug 31, 2023
Submitted by: xBISsped6
Region: Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 01, 2023
Observation date: Aug 25, 2023
Submitted by: John Terpstra
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 26, 2023
Observation date: Aug 24, 2023
Submitted by: cjgoin
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 26, 2023
Observation date: Sep 12, 2016
Submitted by: Robb Hannawacker
Region: San Juan County, Utah, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 21, 2023
Observation date: Apr 29, 2022
Submitted by: Rick Sinnott
Region: Catoosa County, Georgia, United States
Verified by: Mikelchap
Verified date: Aug 21, 2023
Observation date: Aug 19, 2023
Submitted by: dlister
Region: Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 21, 2023
Observation date: Aug 06, 2023
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Santa Barbara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 11, 2023
Observation date: Aug 10, 2023
Submitted by: Alison Davies
Region: Lexington County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Aug 11, 2023
Observation date: Aug 02, 2023
Submitted by: tjunderwood
Region: Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 11, 2023
Observation date: Aug 10, 2023
Submitted by: Carlaselvin
Region: Josephine County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 10, 2023
Observation date: Aug 03, 2023
Submitted by: MarkSCitsay
Region: Washington County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 03, 2023
Observation date: Aug 01, 2023
Submitted by: Patricia12
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Aug 03, 2023
Observation date: Jul 28, 2023
Submitted by: topper72
Region: Los Alamos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Jul 30, 2023
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