American Lady
Vanessa virginiensis

Specimen


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IMMATURES     ADULT  ECLOSURE
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Male Dorsal
male dorsal
Female Dorsal
Female Dorsal

Male Ventral
Male Ventral

Female Ventral
Female Ventral

PHOTO DETAILS - ©Nicky Davis
LOCATION:  Steve M. Spomer located female 1003 North 52nd, Lincoln, Lancaser County, Nebraska on host plant Antennaria parvifolia - Small leaf Pussytoes

PHOTOS: Two ova received 18 May 2012
One ovum hatched and was set on host plant Circium undulatum - Wavyleaf Thistle, then on Urtica dioica - Stinging Nettle, then on
Alcea rosea - Hollyhock but these larvae refused them all.  Received three other larvae which had first been set on Alcea rosea  and on which many had died on ( maybe poison spray).  The survivors were taken off the rosea and set on  Circium undulatum which they accepted as a host plant by feeding and  making individual silk nests.

LIFE HISTORY:
Ovum:  unknown

Larva:  #1  was  a larva for 27 days.
            Larvae varied a great deal with  some being 3rd, 4th or 5th Instars at the same time
            First Instar -  22 May 2012
            Second Instar -  27 May 2012
            Third Instar - 31 May 2012 - 4 mm
            Fourth Instar -  4 June 2012
            Fifth Instar -   8 June 2012, photo on 9th 20mm long
            Fifth Instars - 16 June 2012 - 45 mm long

Pupa: 
Pupae stage  was about eight days . Pupae were about 21 to 24 mm long.  Some larvae had a bad reaction to a batch of host plant and became sick showing watery frass but eventually recovered on different plants.  Those pupae were smaller as were the adults.  #1 and #2 formed a pupae on 18 June 2012 and emerged 26 June 2012
Broods: 3-4
Hibernation:  Overwinters as  ?

Specimen:  Pinned by Jacque Wolfe

Host Plant
Oviposited on Antennaria parvifolia
Fed on  Circium undulatum - Wavy-leaf Thistle


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