American painted lady American painted lady The American painted lady or American lady ("Vanessa virginiensis") is a butterfly found throughout North America. The larvae feed on various Asteraceae, such as the cudweeds (genus "Gnaphalium"), the pussytoes ("Antennaria"), and the everlastings ("Anaphalis"), which all belong to tribe Gnaphalieae. All stages of the life cycle can be found throughout temperate North America as well as Madeira and the Canary Islands. Occasionally individuals can be found as far as southwest Europe. "Vanessa virginiensis" is most easily distinguishable by its two large eyespots on the ventral side, whereas "V. cardui" has four small eyespots and "V. annabella"
West Coast lady West Coast lady The West Coast lady ("Vanessa annabella") is one of three North American species of brush-footed butterflies known colloquially as the "painted ladies". "V. annabella" occurs throughout much of the western US and southwestern Canada. The other two species are the cosmopolitan "Vanessa cardui" (painted lady) and the eastern "Vanessa virginiensis" (American painted lady). This species has also been considered a subspecies of the South American, "Vanessa carye", and is frequently misspelled as "anabella". Aside from general differences in distribution, "V. annabella" can be distinguished from the other two painted ladies of North America as follows: Most conspicuously,