NatureMapping Animal Fact Sheets for Grades 7-12

American Lady Facts

American Lady or American Painted Lady Vanessa virginiensis (Drury, 1773)

What they look like:

The dorsal surface of the forewings are reddish orange with a black margin and small white spots. American painted ladies have two large "eye spots" on the underside of their hind wings whereas the painted lady has four smaller eye spots. The underside of the hinderwings are grayish brown and feature a spidery network of creamy white lines.

The larva are black with yellow and black transverse bands, small yellow spots and bristly spines.

How big are they? Wing span: 1 3/4 - 2 5/8 inches (4.5 - 6.7 cm).

How do butterflies breathe? We breathe air into our lungs. Special red blood cells pick up the oxygen, and the arteries of our circulatory system carry the oxygen to the rest of our body. Unlike people, butterflies don't have lungs. Monarchs breathe through tiny openings on the sides of their bodies called spiracles. (The spiracles are in their cuticle, like our skin). The holes open into a system of tubes in their body (called trachea) that carry the oxygen all over their bodies.

Where are they? The American Lady is found throughout the United States.

Where they live: American Lady can be found in open habitats including fields, meadows, and roadsides.

What they eat: The American Lady feeds on nectar from flowing plants, including dogbane, aster, goldenrod, marigold, selfheal, common milkweed, and vetch. Larva feed on pearly everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea), plantain-leaved pussy toes (Antennaria plantaginifolia), wormwood (Artemisia), ironweed (Vernonia), and burdock (Arctium).

Did you know?

American Ladies have two large "eye spots" on the underside of their hind wings
The American Lady looks very similar to the Painted Lady Vanessa cardui

American Lady feeding on nectar.

More Information about American Lady

American Lady - Species Detail >>