Vanessa annabella
West Coast Lady
Vanessa annabella is a great suburban garden butterfly to attract and raise. Hollyhocks are what I used when I was a kid. In the wild, these are mallow and nettle feeders. True to their common name, they fly in the western U.S., and they may be encountered much of the year. To separate adult west coast ladies from painted ladies, compare the shape of the forewing tips (more rounded in Painted Ladies, squared-off in annabella); the white areas on the forewings (where painted ladies have a white bar, west coast ladies have an orange bar); and the four hind wing blue dots ringed in black on annabella, which are smaller on painted ladies and often just black dots. Is there a butterfly with a nicer name than Vannessa annabella?
The west coast lady, Vanessa annabella, is a common garden butterfly where I live. These photos were all taken in my backyard in Long Beach. This one is on Coreopsis. June 27, 2005.
West coast lady, ventral. On Buddleia davidii. July 9, 2005.
This annabella was an early visitor to my garden in Long Beach. February 27, 2024.
West coast lady, Vanessa annabella, April 13, 2006.
Vanessa annabella egg that had just been attached to a tiny leaf of Sphaeralcea ambigua. This was at the La Purisima Mission State Historic Park on May 27th, 2023.
Last instar Vanessa annabella caterpillar on hollyhocks in my garden. June 10, 2023. This year I planted a few hollyhocks, which are in the mallow family, in order to attract west coast ladies so I could document the life cycle. A couple of months later, five late instar caterpillars are still sharing what is left of the plants. In the first instars, they create a silken shelter atop the leaves, and when they are big enough, they fold the leaf over to create a shelter.
©Dennis Walker
