American Painted Lady (Vanessa virginiensis: Nymphalidae) Wingspan 4.4-6.4 cm (1.75-2.5 in). In ventral view this species is easy to tell from the Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui), however the differences are more difficult to see when the wings are in dorsal view. The key difference lies in the penultimate orange cells on the forewing. On the American Painted Lady, the orange cell is actually broken in two distinct orange cells with a white dot in the lower orange cell. In the Painted Lady the orange cell is intact but appears to have a big bite out of it and has no white dot in it. I have posted a Painted Lady as well. Arboretum, Bryan, Brazos County, Texas, USA. Post Oak Savannah Vegetational Area. Garden area at ca. 96 m (300 ft) elevation.
