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 145 - 168 of 11813 verified sightings
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Observation date: Jul 07, 2023
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 10, 2023
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Observation date: Jul 05, 2023
Submitted by: Tom Dudones
Region: Essex County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 07, 2023
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Observation date: Jul 07, 2023
Submitted by: Sometimes
Region: Ontario, Canada
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 07, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/20230707_092421.jpg?itok=ptwxLcnS)
Observation date: Jul 07, 2023
Submitted by: Ktown Lola
Region: Rutland County, Vermont, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 07, 2023
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Observation date: Jul 05, 2023
Submitted by: dlister
Region: Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jul 05, 2023
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Observation date: Jul 03, 2023
Submitted by: Eric Hartshaw
Region: Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, United States
Verified by: davidwright
Verified date: Jul 04, 2023
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Observation date: Jul 02, 2023
Submitted by: lfiske
Region: Kings County, New York, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jul 02, 2023
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Observation date: Jun 30, 2023
Submitted by: Dobber31
Region: Benton County, Arkansas, United States
Verified by: CA Ivy
Verified date: Jul 01, 2023
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Observation date: Jun 05, 2023
Submitted by: Pheasantboy77
Region: St. Louis County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 30, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_6275_1.jpg?itok=SMmmU4yE)
Observation date: Jun 05, 2023
Submitted by: Pheasantboy77
Region: St. Louis County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 30, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/american_lady_vanessa_virginiensis_8.jpg?itok=Iwu-OPPY)
Observation date: Jun 27, 2023
Submitted by: ButterBelle
Region: Putnam County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 27, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/20230518_113352.jpg?itok=ePICmRJ_)
Observation date: May 18, 2023
Submitted by: Bleem
Region: Marquette County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: Jun 26, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/american_lady_86.jpg?itok=Otsg3Mas)
Observation date: Oct 29, 2022
Submitted by: Ed Rothwell
Region: Ingham County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: Jun 26, 2023
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Observation date: Jun 17, 2023
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Ventura County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 25, 2023
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Observation date: Jun 21, 2023
Submitted by: bekkfree
Region: Cowley County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 21, 2023
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Observation date: Jun 19, 2023
Submitted by: bekkfree
Region: Cowley County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 19, 2023
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Observation date: Jun 19, 2023
Submitted by: inthelikeness
Region: Comanche County, Texas, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 19, 2023
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Observation date: Jun 14, 2023
Submitted by: hasfitz5
Region: Contra Costa County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Jun 18, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/2019-07-13_11.29.37_2.jpg?itok=mb-Z0aqo)
Observation date: Jul 13, 2019
Submitted by: Keith Myrom
Region: Mille Lacs County, Minnesota, United States
Verified by: jmgesell
Verified date: Jun 16, 2023
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Observation date: Jun 14, 2023
Submitted by: Creston cottage
Region: Kent County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Jun 15, 2023
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Observation date: Jun 05, 2023
Submitted by: Blue Swallowtail
Region: Adams County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: Emily Geest
Verified date: Jun 12, 2023
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Observation date: May 24, 2023
Submitted by: scream of the b...
Region: Shelby County, Tennessee, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 07, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/am_lady_31may2023.jpg?itok=Enh-Rzym)
Observation date: May 31, 2023
Submitted by: seemayer
Region: Sedgwick County, Kansas, United States
Verified by: James Steen
Verified date: Jun 04, 2023
![](https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/sites/default/files/styles/bamona_scale_and_crop_640px_by_640px/public/bamona_images/img_3829_7.jpg?itok=lAAOxgkr)
Observation date: Apr 15, 2023
Submitted by: amparrish15
Region: Lake County, Illinois, United States
Verified by: rogerdowner
Verified date: Jun 03, 2023
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