Vanessa virginiensis

American Painted Lady

Although the presence of this species on Vancouver Island has been doubted, I have encountered it on three occasions, including two individuals still dripping meconium. I once found a caterpillar that I believed to be of this species, but a tachinid had beaten me to it, so I could never be certain. The accompanying photograph of an American Painted Lady was obtained in Victoria in 1994. Although it is a rather distant shot, it is perhaps worth reproducing for the record.