Vanessa cardui
Painted Ladies are
medium-sized butterflies, with a wingspan of two inches. The
top sides of their wings are orange with black blotches and
white spots. Underneath, wing color is a beautiful
combination of pink, brown, olive, black, and
white. Painted Ladies live just
about everywhere, especially meadows,
parks, and gardens. These butterflies
migrate
from the South every Spring. They lay their eggs on
host
plants (food for caterpillars),
which include: thistles, American Elm, Black Cherry, English
Plantain, and daisies. When cold weather
arrives, Painted Ladies head back South, though most of them
don't seem to make it. The migration of these butterflies is
still a great mystery. Simon Coombes
Copyright, Will Cook
Painted Lady eggs are
pale green and barrel-shaped. They are laid on the leaves of
host plants. When caterpillars hatch they begin eating right
away. Caterpillars are black with yellow markings, and they
grow over an inch long before they turn to pupae
(resting stage). They pupa of a butterfly
is called a chrysalis.
A Painted Lady chrysalis is brown and bumpy. After a couple
of weeks, adult Painted Lady butterflies will emerge from
their chrysalises. Adult
butterflies sip nectar
from many different flowers, including goldenrods,
milkweeds, asters, Joe-pye Weed, Ironweed, Red Clover, and
Blazing Star. Simon Coombes Male Painted Ladies are
very territorial.
They will scout out a place and find a good perch to guard
it. If any other males come near, he will chase them away.
He will wait patiently there until a female
arrives. When many caterpillars
hatch close together, they will form silk nests, much like
tent caterpillars do. Predators
of Painted Ladies include birds, dragonflies, mantids, and
other insect-eaters.
Huntley Meadows Park