The markings of the peacock are unmistakeable – big, blue ‘eyes’ just like a peacock’s tail feathers. It can be seen…
Painted lady
A well-travelled migrant, the painted lady arrives here every summer from Europe and Africa. This beautiful orange-and-black butterfly regularly visits gardens.
Species information
Category
Statistics
Wingspan: 5.8-7.4cm
Conservation status
Common.
When to see
April to October
A fairly large orange, black and white butterfly, the painted lady is a migrant to the UK from North Africa, the Middle East and southern Europe during the summer; sometimes it arrives here in enormous numbers. A frequent visitor to gardens, it will feed on Buddleia and other flowers. The caterpillars feed on thistles, mallows and Viper’s-bugloss, as well as various cultivated plants. This species cannot survive our winter in any form.
How to identify
The painted lady is mainly orange above, with black tips to the forewings that are adorned with white spots, and black spots on the hindwings and forewings. The small tortoiseshell is also orange with black spots, but has distinctive yellow spots on the forewings and blue spots along the wing margins.
Widespread.
Painted Lady Butterfly (Vanessa cardui)
Image Credit: Eric B. from TX
Image Credit: Dave and Glenda E. from IA
Image Credit: Paul and Kellie T. taken in West Tulsa County, OK
Image Credit: Dave and Glenda E. from IA.
Image Credit: Image copyright www.InsectIdentification.org; No Reproduction Permitted
Image Credit: Image copyright www.InsectIdentification.org; No Reproduction Permitted
Image Credit: Image copyright www.InsectIdentification.org; No Reproduction Permitted
Image Credit: Nathan L. from Warwick, RI
Image Credit: Jerry Gildemeister
10/10
Image Credit: Image copyright www.InsectIdentification.org; No Reproduction Permitted
A commonly seen native butterfly ranging across the entire continent, the flashy Painted Lady is as pretty as its name suggests.
Updated: 08/17/2022; Authored By Staff Writer; Content ©www.InsectIdentification.org
Millions of Painted Ladies migrate each summer from the warm southern region of the continent to the cooler, northern provinces. Sometimes, they move en masse, delighting onlookers. Many generations can be produced each year, with more in of them in warmer climates. In areas of mild winters, this species can remain active all year. This popular native butterfly is welcomed and admired in all three nations of North America.
Painted Ladies are a myriad of colors and patterns. With wings flat, an overall rosy-orange and black color combination predominates. Small black eyespots border the hindwings’ edges. White spots contrast on the black wing tips. Dark pink or red surrounds a black dot near the upper edge of the forewings. When wings are raised up, a completely different color scheme presents itself. The underside of the wings is brown and white with sneaks of orange and pink. The edge of each hindwing has four similar-sized blue and yellow eyespots. Adults drink flower nectar and are often seen on asters. Males actively search for females to mate with. Females lay fertilized eggs on the leaves of host plants.
Caterpillars have dark or black bodies that are studded with yellowish spines, each with black-tipped spiky hairs. Two thin yellow lines run down the dorsal (back) side. The preferred food for Painted Lady caterpillars are thistles – a tough, spiky plant that grows well in weedy areas and meadows. They also eat the leaves of mallows, hollyhock, and burdock plants, sometimes foraging into crops.©InsectIdentification.org
