American painted lady
Vanessa virginiensis

Wing span: 1 3/4 to 2 5/8 inches 

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Caterpillar hosts plants:
members of the sunflower family, including burrdock,  Arctium;  ironweed,  Vernonia;  plaintain-leaved pussytoes, Antennaria plantaginifolia; wormwood,  Artemisia		 Adult food: 
nectar of:  aster, Aster;  dogbane, Apocynum; goldenrod, Solidago;  marigold, Tagetes; milkweed, Asclepias;  vetch, Vicia
Habitat:
open places with low vegetation, including meadows, parks, vacant lots, forest edges 		 Notes: 
males perch on hilltops or low vegetation to locate females,  females lay eggs singly on upper host leaf ,  hibernates as adults,  puddles 

The painded lady and the American painted lady are very similar in appearance. The American painted lady has two large black dots with blue centers on each hind wing.  The painted lady has four or five small black spots on the rear portion of each hind wing.