American Lady on chamomile
Vanessa virginiensis
American Lady · San Diego Botanic Garden · 7 March 2026
An American Lady on chamomile in a San Diego garden in March. It is a butterfly of open ground and gardens across North America, and in Southern California it flies all year; the caterpillars feed on everlastings and pussytoes, plants in the daisy family, so a chamomile relative is a natural place to find the adult.
Told from the similar Painted Lady by the two large eyespots on the hindwing rather than four small ones, visible here even with the wings held nearly closed. The Painted Lady is the world traveller; this one stays home.
Birds, insects, plants and other wildlife, mostly from Brooklyn, with some from further afield.
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