The painted lady isn't picky. Schoolchildren often recognize this butterfly, as raising these butterflies is a popular science activity in elementary classrooms. The painted lady, also known as the cosmopolitan or thistle butterfly, inhabits backyards and meadows throughout most of the world. Place rocks among the plants so the butterflies have a place to rest and keep warm.

[29] Unlike other butterflies, such as the monarch or red postman butterflies, painted ladies lack red receptors, which means that they are likely red-green colour-blind. A painted lady butterfly perches on an allium in Sioux City. [30] Caterpillars will eat thistles, hollyhocks and legumes. Feeding temporarily inhibits the weeds but new growth usually develops in the fall. The Painted Lady Butterfly is nicknamed the "Thistle Butterfly" because it loves to feed on the nectar of thistles. Sep 25, 2015 - Explore livemonarchs's board "Painted Lady Butterfly (Thistle Butterfly)" on Pinterest. What is a group of butterflies called? The painted lady is called the thistle butterfly because thistle plants are its favorite nectar plant for food. All species of painted lady butterflies are orange, black and brown with white spots.
Damage/Symptoms: Thistle caterpillars injure plants by defoliation. The painted lady (Vanessa cardui) butterfly has a lifespan of 2 weeks and its primary concern during the time it spends on the wing is to reproduce and lay eggs.The eggs—the size of a pinhead—are laid on plants such as the hollyhock and thistle that the caterpillars enjoy eating. See more ideas about Butterfly, Beautiful butterflies and Woman painting. Painted lady butterflies have a visual system that resembles that of a honey bee. After 3-5 days, the eggs hatch into a larva or caterpillar which eats the host plant and rapidly increases in size. Adult Painted Lady butterflies like asters, thistle, cosmos, sunflowers, blazing star, joe pye weed and ironweed. Schoolchildren often recognize this butterfly, as raising these butterflies is a popular science activity in elementary classrooms. Painted lady butterflies are also called cosmopolitan or thistle butterflies. “This is a really similar time of the year to last year, where right around the Fourth of July we were noticing a lot of the butterflies flying. Unlike many butterflies that have certain host plants that they lay eggs on and that caterpillars eat --- the monarch butterfly host plant is milkweed --- the painted lady has been noted to have more than 100 host plants. Painted Lady, Thistle Butterfly (Vanessa Cardui (L.)) Larvae feed primarily on Canada thistle leaves, leaving the stem and midrib. vegetable plants in the garden. Description. They Have Unusual Migration Patterns The painted lady is an irruptive migrant, meaning that it migrates independently of any seasonal or geographic patterns. Flowers from other families that are visited include red clover, buttonbush, privet, and milkweeds. And then by the middle of July we had really significant populations of those painted lady butterflies in their larval form, the thistle … Photo about A painted lady butterfly is perched on a swamp thistle. The Painted Lady prefers nectar from composites 3-6 feet high, especially thistles; also aster, cosmos, blazing star, ironweed, and joe-pye weed. The painted lady, also known as the cosmopolitan or thistle butterfly, inhabits backyards and meadows throughout most of the world. Painted lady larva will also feed on weedy thistles in the Cirsium and Silybum genera, as well as the dreaded Yellow Star Thistle (Centaurea solstitialis), and related cultivated plants like Artichoke and Cardoon.
A group of butterflies is also called a "swarm," "rabble," "kaleidoscope," or "flutter of butterflies." The painted lady, also known as the cosmopolitan or thistle butterfly, inhabits backyards and meadows throughout most of the world. Image of nature, wildlife, lepidoptera - 6094075