American lady

The American lady is a jewel of a butterfly, orange and black above with a rosy flush, and best told from its relatives by the two large eyespots on the underside of each hindwing. It is common in open, sunny places across the continent.

It is a quick, low flier that patrols fields, dunes, and gardens, basking with wings spread and darting out after passing insects.

Caterpillars are specialists on the everlastings, pussytoes, pearly everlasting, and cudweeds, spinning silk nests among the woolly leaves.

To support it, plant pearly everlasting or pussytoes for the caterpillars alongside a succession of nectar flowers. The plants below carry documented American lady records.