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 73 - 96 of 11813 verified sightings
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_9203_4.jpg?itok=SwYTTHVx)
Observation date: May 09, 2024
Submitted by: jrmbutterfly
Region: Texas, Nueces County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 10, 2024
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Observation date: May 07, 2024
Submitted by: TParadox22
Region: Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: May 08, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/20240503_112722_-_copy.jpg?itok=jtSvgXNn)
Observation date: May 03, 2024
Submitted by: Chrysanthemum
Region: Eau Claire County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: May 04, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/vanessa_virginiensis_240503_sf_img_6162.jpg?itok=64pya57T)
Observation date: May 03, 2024
Submitted by: Bob Jacobson
Region: Chippewa County, Wisconsin, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: May 04, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/american_lady_90.jpg?itok=jkEVnAfP)
Observation date: Apr 30, 2024
Submitted by: karlkrause
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: May 02, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/american_lady_mse_6010.jpg?itok=3MS8unfm)
Observation date: Apr 22, 2024
Submitted by: MSEmbeck
Region: Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: May 02, 2024
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Observation date: May 01, 2024
Submitted by: jmgesell
Region: Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: May 02, 2024
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Observation date: Apr 29, 2024
Submitted by: Ken Cheeks
Region: Edgefield County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Apr 29, 2024
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Observation date: Apr 19, 2024
Submitted by: Ken Cheeks
Region: Edgefield County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Apr 19, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_1245_3.jpeg?itok=eDVVP-Hr)
Observation date: Apr 16, 2024
Submitted by: mpav
Region: New York County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Apr 17, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/am_lady_1.jpg?itok=-K7SrYJ1)
Observation date: Apr 14, 2024
Submitted by: seemayer
Region: Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Apr 16, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/american_lady_89.jpg?itok=MKEVW6FU)
Observation date: Apr 12, 2024
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Grundy County, Missouri, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Apr 16, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_1876_0.jpeg?itok=rSIc8iD6)
Observation date: Apr 14, 2024
Submitted by: hclancy
Region: Bronx County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Apr 15, 2024
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Observation date: Apr 14, 2024
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Apr 15, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/american_lady_bayard_4-4-24.jpeg?itok=TKfC2nlf)
Observation date: Apr 05, 2024
Submitted by: Pkleinsasser
Region: Flagler County, Florida, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Apr 08, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/american_lady_vanessa_virginiensis_c_sylvan_rd_edgefield_county_inat_040524.jpg?itok=givh5TYC)
Observation date: Apr 05, 2024
Submitted by: Ken Cheeks
Region: Edgefield County, South Carolina, United States
Verified by: Dennis Forsythe
Verified date: Apr 06, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/american_lady_maki_carrizo.jpg?itok=l0a82-DQ)
Observation date: Apr 03, 2024
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: San Luis Obispo County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Apr 04, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/american_lady_maki_vetter_mt.jpg?itok=m7BOwr6v)
Observation date: Mar 17, 2024
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Los Angeles County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 17, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/american_lady_88.jpg?itok=sD7jveTp)
Observation date: Mar 08, 2024
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Mar 11, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/20240222_110822.jpeg?itok=Hy4uukUR)
Observation date: Feb 22, 2024
Submitted by: mcvaugh
Region: Contra Costa County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Feb 22, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/butterfly_485.jpg?itok=VEX6R6AK)
Observation date: Aug 12, 2023
Submitted by: eattaway92
Region: Grundy County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Feb 11, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_9513.jpg_3.jpg?itok=HUNxncFj)
Observation date: Sep 14, 2023
Submitted by: Lady Vine
Region: Providence County, Rhode Island, United States
Verified by: Harry Pavulaan
Verified date: Feb 03, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_9513.jpg_3_0.jpg?itok=arH8Kv8j)
Observation date: Sep 14, 2023
Submitted by: Lady Vine
Region: Providence County, Rhode Island, United States
Verified by: Harry Pavulaan
Verified date: Feb 03, 2024
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_9544.jpg_2.jpg?itok=J39VzpG3)
Observation date: Sep 14, 2023
Submitted by: Lady Vine
Region: Providence County, Rhode Island, United States
Verified by: Harry Pavulaan
Verified date: Feb 03, 2024
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