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 241 - 264 of 11830 verified sightings
Observation date: Jul 06, 2022
Submitted by: Aner
Region: Otero County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 25, 2022
Observation date: Jul 06, 2022
Submitted by: Aner
Region: Otero County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 25, 2022
Observation date: Sep 17, 2022
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Sep 19, 2022
Observation date: Aug 31, 2022
Submitted by: jfkoza
Region: Essex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 12, 2022
Observation date: Sep 12, 2022
Submitted by: jfkoza
Region: Essex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 12, 2022
Observation date: Aug 21, 2022
Submitted by: hasfitz5
Region: Cochise County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Sep 10, 2022
Observation date: Sep 04, 2022
Submitted by: Chip Gilbert
Region: Greenville County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Sep 10, 2022
Observation date: Sep 03, 2022
Submitted by: Chip Gilbert
Region: Greenville County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Sep 10, 2022
Observation date: May 23, 2022
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Schoolcraft County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 31, 2022
Observation date: Aug 24, 2022
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Yavapai County, Arizona, United States
Verified by: John Saba
Verified date: Aug 31, 2022
Observation date: Aug 26, 2022
Submitted by: Nancyjp
Region: Montgomery County, Ohio, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Aug 30, 2022
Observation date: Aug 28, 2022
Submitted by: weflybye
Region: Grays Harbor County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Aug 30, 2022
Observation date: Jun 22, 2022
Submitted by: Roose
Region: Saginaw County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 30, 2022
Observation date: Aug 20, 2022
Submitted by: B Holgersson
Region: Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 28, 2022
Observation date: Aug 24, 2022
Submitted by: ian pepper
Region: Essex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 25, 2022
Observation date: Jun 08, 2019
Submitted by: Jennie Lanzendorf
Region: Sauk County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 25, 2022
Observation date: Jun 08, 2019
Submitted by: Jennie Lanzendorf
Region: Sauk County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 25, 2022
Observation date: Apr 26, 2022
Submitted by: Cascade Colors
Region: Cumberland County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Aug 21, 2022
Observation date: Aug 20, 2022
Submitted by: KSkrehot
Region: Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Aug 20, 2022
Observation date: Aug 19, 2022
Submitted by: Jim Lowe
Region: Tompkins County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Aug 20, 2022
Observation date: Aug 19, 2022
Submitted by: maryjanzen
Region: Centre County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Aug 19, 2022
Observation date: Aug 17, 2022
Submitted by: twofried
Region: Taos County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Aug 18, 2022
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
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