Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui
Photo by Mabel Amber from Pixabay
Summary
The painted lady’s common name, the cosmopolitan, is a clue to its world-wide range, which includes Asia, Africa, Europe and North America. On our continent, this worldly migrant leaves the deserts of northern Mexico and heads north on the early spring breeze. New broods throughout the summer increase the emigrant population. Caterpillars construct a silk nest on the leaves of their host plants, which shelters them as they chew. They prefer thistle (Circium) leaves — thur their other common name, thistle butterfly–but utilize over 100 species of nonwoody plants. This ability of the caterpillars to feed on a wide variety of plants is one factor in the wide range of this species. The adults feed on the nectar from a variety of flowers. They can be distinguished from their near relation, the American lady, by their their hind wings: the painted lady has four small eye spots, while the American lady’s pair are larger.
More Details
FAMILY
Nymphalidae (Brushfoots)
IDENTIFICATION
Wingspan 2-2.87 inches, dappled orange and black, with white spots scattered over the upper wings. Five eyespots on the ventral hindwing.
HABITAT
Open areas like meadows, parks, gardens, roadsides, and woodland edges.
LIFE CYCLE
Female lays ridged eggs one at a time on top surfaces of leaves. As caterpillars eat, they spin loose webs of silk around the leaves, hiding them from predators. Tan chrysalis is covered in shiny gold dots. Adult favors low vegetation with nectar flowers.
HOST PLANTS
Thistles (Cirsium), borage (Borago offficinalis), and common mallow (Malva neglecta)
Ecosystem Connections
The caterpillars are herbivores that graze on vegetation, and adults serve a role in pollination. All stages provide food for predators. In years when the populations of this species are especially large, the larvae serve as a check on thistle populations.