American lady |
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Vanessa virginiensis |
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| Order | Lepidoptera (Butterflies and Moths) |
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| Superfamily | Papilionoidea (Butterflies [excluding skippers]) |
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| Family | Nymphalidae (Brush-footed Butterflies) |
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| Subfamily | Nymphalinae (True Brushfoots) |
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| Flight/Season | Three or four broods from late April to September. |
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| Habitat | Open places with low vegetation including dunes, meadows, parks, vacant lots, and forest edges. |
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| Larval Food | Rabbit-tobacco (Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium ssp. obtusifolium), Pearly Everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea), Plantain-leaved Pussytoes (Antennaria plantaginifolia), wormwood (Artemisia spp.), ironweed (Vernonia spp.), and burdock (Arctium spp). |
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| Adult Food | Flower nectar of Pearly Everlasting, aster, vetch, goldenrod, Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca), Heal-all (Prunella vulgaris), dogbane (Apocynum spp.). |
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| Identification |
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| Life Cycle |
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| Similar Species |
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| Range |
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| Sightings | Minneopa State Park | ||||||
| Comments | Also called American painted lady, Painted Beauty. |
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| Images | Click on an image for a larger view. | ||||||
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