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 217 - 240 of 11818 verified sightings
Observation date: Sep 15, 2022
Submitted by: ddrudis
Region: Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States
Verified by: John Calhoun
Verified date: Oct 14, 2022
Observation date: Jul 14, 2022
Submitted by: MAKI
Region: Santa Barbara County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 13, 2022
Observation date: Oct 11, 2022
Submitted by: Zach Eckert
Region: King County, Washington, United States
Verified by: davidwdroppers
Verified date: Oct 12, 2022
Observation date: Oct 11, 2022
Submitted by: Cactuswren1976
Region: Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Oct 12, 2022
Observation date: Aug 25, 2022
Submitted by: Seth Mueller
Region: San Bernardino County, California, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 09, 2022
Observation date: Sep 04, 2022
Submitted by: Marta Reece
Region: Lincoln County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Oct 07, 2022
Observation date: Oct 01, 2022
Submitted by: cjgoin
Region: Doña Ana County, New Mexico, United States
Verified by: stevecary
Verified date: Oct 04, 2022
Observation date: Sep 16, 2022
Submitted by: jrtindall
Region: Mercer County, New Jersey, United States
Verified by: Allen B
Verified date: Oct 03, 2022
Observation date: Oct 02, 2022
Submitted by: EvSherr
Region: Lane County, Oregon, United States
Verified by: Ken Davenport
Verified date: Oct 02, 2022
Observation date: Sep 18, 2022
Submitted by: DJ Jones
Region: Manistee County, Michigan, United States
Verified by: elsner
Verified date: Sep 29, 2022
Observation date: Sep 28, 2022
Submitted by: L.Hale
Region: Texas, Lubbock County, United States
Verified by: jwileyrains
Verified date: Sep 29, 2022
Observation date: Sep 05, 2022
Submitted by: Blue Swallowtail
Region: Adams County, Nebraska, United States
Verified by: Emily Geest
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: 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
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