Painted Lady Butterfly

Nature 3 Minutes

The painted lady is one of the most familiar butterflies in the world, found on nearly all continents and climates. They are a favorite subject of study in elementary school classrooms and are a familiar visitor to most landscape gardens. As common as they are, though, painted ladies have some interesting attributes, as these 10 facts demonstrate.

They Are the World’s Most Widely Distributed Butterfly

Painted lady butterflies inhabit every continent except Australia and Antarctica. You can find painted ladies everywhere from meadows to vacant lots. Although they live only in warmer climates, painted ladies often migrate to colder regions in spring and fall, making them the butterflies with the widest distribution of any species. 

They Are Also Called Thistle or Cosmopolitan Butterflies

The painted lady is called the thistle butterfly because thistle plants are its favorite nectar plant for food. It is called the cosmopolitan butterfly because of its global distribution.

They Have Unusual Migration Patterns

The painted lady is an irruptive migrant, meaning that it migrates independently of any seasonal or geographic patterns. Some evidence suggests that painted lady migrations may be linked to the El Niño climate pattern.1 In Mexico and some other regions, it appears that migration is sometimes related to overpopulation.

The migrating populations that move from North Africa to Europe may include millions of butterflies. In spring, painted ladies fly low when migrating, usually only 6 to 12 feet above the ground. This makes them highly visible to butterfly watchers but also makes them susceptible to colliding with cars. At other times, painted ladies migrate at such high altitudes that they are not observed at all, simply appearing in a new region unexpectedly. 

They Can Fly Fast and Far

These medium-sized butterflies can cover a lot of ground, up to 100 miles per day during their migrations.2 A painted lady is capable of reaching a speed of nearly 30 miles per hour. Painted ladies reach northern areas well ahead of some of their more famous migrating cousins, like monarch butterflies. And because they get such an early start to their spring travel, migrating painted ladies are able to feed on spring annuals, like fiddlenecks (Amsinckia).

They Do Not Overwinter in Cold Regions

Unlike many other species of butterflies that migrate to warm climates in winter, painted ladies die once winter hits in colder regions. They are present in cold regions only because of their impressive ability to migrate long distances from their warm-weather breeding areas. 

Their Caterpillars Eat Thistle

Thistle, which can be an invasive weed, is one of the painted lady caterpillar’s favorite food plants. The painted lady probably owes its global abundance to the fact that its larvae feed on such common plants. The painted lady also goes by the name thistle butterfly, and its scientific name—Vanessa cardui—means “butterfly of thistle.” 

They Can Damage Soybean Crops

When the butterflies are found in large numbers, they can do serious damage to soybean crops. The damage occurs during the larval stages when the caterpillars eat soybean foliage after hatching from eggs.

Males Use the Perch-and-Patrol Method to Find Mates

Male painted ladies actively patrol their territory for receptive females in the afternoon. Should a male butterfly find a mate, it will usually retreat with its partner to a treetop, where they will mate overnight.

Their Caterpillars Weave Silk Tents

Unlike other caterpillars in the genus Vanessa, painted lady larvae construct their tents from silk. You’ll usually find their fluffy shelters on thistle plants. Similar species, such as the American lady caterpillar, make their tents by stitching leaves together instead.

On Overcast Days, They Go to Ground

You can find them huddling in small depressions on such days. On sunny days, these butterflies prefer open areas filled with colorful flowers.

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Published by pat frederick

Published

79 thoughts on “Painted Lady Butterfly”

  1. Morning All

    it’s about 60* and sunny so far. there are wispy clouds out there but i haven’t checked the weather forecast yet.

    the ducks were back in the pond this morning, but the deer are separating. seeing a lot more solitary ones so there will be mamas and fawns soon!

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Morning, Pat! It rained all fricking night; it has stopped for the moment, no wind but still cloudy, and 49. The forecast said it’s supposed to clear out but we’ll see. Wheezer came and ate again sometime during the night.

      Fox is covering this on TV this morning. They’re still at it…..

      Just The News: “Law enforcement officers began Thursday morning dismantling the “Gaza Solidarity Encampment” at UCLA.

      UCLA police on Wednesday evening declared the encampment an unlawful assembly and ordered demonstrators to disperse, according to ABC 7 Los Angeles.

      When the demonstrators refused, officers from the Los Angeles Police Department and other law enforcement agencies arrived in tactical gear at the campus at about 1 a.m. They began gradually dismantled barriers around the encampment, then tents and arresting demonstrators. 

      The encampment was center at the University of California Los Angeles’ Dickson Plaza, according to the Daily Bruin, school-student newspaper.

      Video from the scene shows multiple bangs going off as protesters chant: “We’re not scared!”

      UCLA is the latest campus to see a crackdown on anti-Israel encampments, following similar moves at Columbia University and other schools.”

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Morning Filly!

        we have clouds and sun but the temps are holding steady for the moment.

        I think most of these actions are for show…i wanna see arrests and TRIALS. hold all these asswipes till they’re trials are done…not catch and release like the border. i think quietly they drop the charges without anyone knowing tbh

        Liked by 1 person

  3. James O’Keefe

    @JamesOKeefeIII

    BREAKING – EXPOSING THE CIA: “So the agencies kind of, like, all got together and said, we’re not gonna tell Trump…Director of the CIA would keep [information from Trump]…” A project manager working in Cyber Operations for the

    @CIA

    and an

    @NSAGov

    contractor with top-secret clearance working for

    @Deloitte

    , Amjad Fseisi, is caught on undercover cameras implicating the highest levels of the intelligence agencies, including “The executive staff. We’re talking about the director and his subordinates,” former CIA Directors “Gina Haspel….And I believe Mike Pompeo did the same thing too,” “kept information from him [Trump] because we knew he’d fucking disclose it.” Amjad reasons “There are certain people that would…give him a high-level overview but never give him any details. You know why? Because he’ll leak those details…He’s a Russian asset. He’s owned by the fucking Russians.”

    @mikepompeo

    Amjad reveals to OMG’s Undercover American Swiper that intel agencies not only kept intelligence information from a sitting United States President and Commander-In-Chief, they also used FISA to spy on

    @realDonaldTrump

    and his team and are still monitoring President Trump according to Amjad who says, “We monitor everything.” Amjad adds “we also have people that monitor his ex-wife. He likes to use burner phones” – information only an insider with access to highly sensitive information would state. “We steal it [information]” and “We hack other countries just like that,” Amjad, who states he currently works on the CIA’s China Mission Center, explains how intel agencies obtain information. He also describes a broken intelligence system where “We don’t share information across agencies” because the CIA is “very reluctant” to share information with the “careless” NSA. O’Keefe Media Group’s bombshell undercover footage supports earlier reports by investigative journalists Michael Shellenberger, Matt Taibbi, and Alex Gutentag that revealed how the American intelligence community illegally ran a spy operation against then-candidate Trump’s presidential campaign in 2016 and illegally acquired intelligence that was later used to justify the Federal Bureau of Investigation (

    @FBI

    ) official probe, “Crossfire Hurricane,” which in turn led to Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation that ultimately did not find evidence of Russia collusion by the 2016 Trump campaign.

    @shellenberger

    @mtaibbi

    @galexybrane

    Contractors like Fseisi hold the duty to withhold sharing confidential or national security information. In denying his statements, Fseisi may have realized he could be held liable for violating internal agency provisions and federal laws like the Executive Agency ethics provisions, which restrict what he may share with others outside of his contracted-to agency. Additionally, any government worker or agency head who withheld information from a superior (i.e. President Trump) may violate: (a) obstruction of justice by deception (18 USC 1512); (b) conspiracy to obstruct (18 USC 371); and false statements (18 USC 1001). Agency regulations may also provide offenses related to insubordination, reflecting poorly on the agency in public, or misrepresentation or dishonesty. When James O’Keefe caught up with Amjad Fseisi on the streets of Washington, D.C., Fseisi could not tell O’Keefe whether he had top secret clearance, denied making statements clearly caught on camera, and would not even confirm it was him on the video saying only “It looks like me.” When asked directly if he works at the CIA, Fseisi said, “I can’t tell you that.”

    Liked by 1 person

        1. That policy is followed right down to the lowest defense contractor employee! You even have to turn in your badge that you use to enter a secure facility. I had to return mine – it’s part of your exit interview.

          Liked by 1 person

  5. I. AM. SHOCKED.

    I Meme Therefore I Am

    @ImMeme0

    BREAKING: Mayor Eric Adams of NYC asserts that protests at CCNY and Columbia have been hijacked by “outside agitators” affiliated with TERRORIST GROUPS, and a substantial number of those arrested were NOT students. One of the “professional outside agitator” was married to someone who was arrested for terrortism. “It’s NOT singular, it’s PLURAL, several organizations and groups.. outside agitators were on their campus… I was brief by the Intelligence Division and they were able to identify individuals all who were not students organizations but were professional agitators.”

    Liked by 1 person

  7. Charlie Kirk

    @charliekirk11

    Two key confirmations in this clip: 1) The criminals who seized Hamilton Hall at Columbia were outside agitators, not students. 2) Approximately 300 were arrested at Columbia University overnight, the majority of whom are not students. People do not yet realize just how much money and resources the leftwing activists networks have. They are behind BLM. They are behind Antifa brigades. They are behind the pro-Hamas encampments.

    Liked by 1 person

  8. this could get ugly real fast…especially if the ones taking up the offer are the purple haired homosexuals.

    Feisty Hayseed

    May 2, 2024 12:53 am

    Iranian university offers scholarships to students expelled due to protesting

    Shiraz University, located in southern Iran, says it will offer scholarships to students from the United States and Europe who’ve been expelled due to protests over conflicts in the Middle East, according to CNN.

    “Students and even professors who have been expelled or threatened with expulsion can continue their studies in Shiraz University,” Shiraz University President Mohammad Moreno said, per the news channel. “I think that other universities in Shiraz and Fars province are prepared to do the same too.”

    College protest Live updates:

    https://www.yahoo.com/news/live/college-protest-live-updates-nearly-300-arrested-at-columbia-and-cuny-ucla-cancels-classes-as-campus-demonstrations-intensify-113556376.html

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Good! They need to learn a lesson….if they lose their life while doing so, that’s on them!!! I hope the majority accept that offer!

      Liked by 1 person

  12. this is on YOU Pal…you gave in and funded this crap. Didn’t you read the bill?????

    Liked by 1 person

  15. Just The News: “Victims of the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas terror attack on Israel are filing suit against several U.S. groups that they claim have been collaborating with Hamas and promoting the terrorist organization’s propaganda in the U.S.

    According to a news release, Greenberg Traurig, LLP, the National Jewish Advocacy Center, the Schoen Law Firm, and the Holtzman Vogel law firm “filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern Division of Virginia, Alexandria Division, against AJP Educational Foundation Inc. a/k/a American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) and National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP).”

    The lawsuit “seeks compensatory damages for nine American and Israeli victims of the attack in which Hamas killed 1,200 people and took 240 people hostage, alleges that AMP and NSJP work in the United States as collaborators and propagandists for Hamas.”

    Hamas is currently considered a U.S. designated “Foreign Terrorist Organization.”

    Liked by 1 person

  16. WUT? “I’m just goin’ to take it, I mean, it’s free, right? They put the prices on there but that’s just for like, if you want to pay – it’s not mandatory…it’s free, right?” And why is it ok for THEM to call others “niggas” but no-one else can???

    Liked by 1 person

  17. National Pulse: “Trump Lands ANOTHER $1.8BN in Stunning Truth Social Success.”

    The stock value of Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) — the parent company of Truth Social — remained well above $17.50 in trading value as markets closed yesterday. With the share price sitting at $45.86 as markets opened this morning, former President Donald Trump is now due an additional 36 million shares in the company — valued at $1.88 billion.

    Buoyed by continued investment by Trump‘s political supporters, the value TMTG has shocked establishment Wall Street investors and given the former President access to what could be a formidable source of cash for his campaign war chest. Even if shares had fallen below $17.50, Trump would still have seen a significant windfall from new shares conditional on the stock value remaining above $12.50.

    During the initial public offering of shares for TMTG, former President Trump gained around $5 billion. This windfall sent him rocketing up the list of America’s most wealthy individuals. With the share price showing continued strength, it appears the efforts by Joe Biden‘s Democrat allies — like New York Attorney General Letitia James — to tie up Trump’s financial wealth will likely be in vain.

    While the stock value continues to add to Trump‘s net worth, he won’t be able to sell or borrow against his shares for some time unless TMTG’s board approves an exception. The former Republican President is also far more likely to borrow against the shares than outright sell them, with the latter carrying a high risk of crashing TMTG’s market value.”

    Liked by 1 person

  18. This is soooo disgusting….that pup looks a lot like my Spirit, except one of her ears was folded over because her sister chewed on it all the time. If I lived closer to CA, I’d take this sweet girl myself! This is the problem with people acquiring dogs w/o knowing one damned thing about dogs!!! This happens with horses all the time as well. EDUCATE YOURSELF FIRST!!!

    EXCERPT: “Heartbreaking surveillance footage shows the cruel moment a puppy was abandoned by a car in a California parking lot before desperately trying to chase down its owners. The three-month-old German Shepherd pup is seen being dropped out of a car door at the Country Living Mobile Home Park in Fresno on Thursday.  

    The sweet black dog with pointy ears first looks around in confusion before watching the vehicle speed away. The as-yet-unnamed animal then follows the car through the parking lot and down the street in desperation not to be left behind.

    A witness from the mobile home community called the Fresno Animal Center, animal resource officer Rudy Pina told KSEE.

    ‘Luckily, the mobile home park management was very adamant about securing the dog on their own, which we’re very thankful for and which was able to have a great outcome for the animal,’ Pina explained. 

    ‘Unfortunately, our animal control department responds to animal abandonment calls every single week in the city of Fresno,’ he said.   

    According to the shelter the puppy is very friendly and available for adoption immediately…..”

    https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-13371141/moment-puppy-chases-owner-dumped-car-park.html

    Liked by 1 person

      1. I had to have her put to sleep when she was 15 due to cancer. Oh, did I ever cry that day!!! Spirit at 10 weeks – that white spot on her toes was the only white on her:

        1 year:

        8 years:

        Liked by 1 person

      1. I’m back! OMG! The first time I leave the house and actually go somewhere in over a month and what do I find when I get back? Jason has mowed my grass – I had thought about calling him since the grass was really getting long but I figured it was still too wet.

        And lo and behold – Chad tilled my cantaloupe bed while I was gone! Neither of them called me. Whoopee! I purposely didn’t get the trellis and t-posts I need because the bed wasn’t ready so another trip to Menards is in order. I’ve got time before the cantaloupe get big enough to worry about it so it’s all good. The tiller search didn’t go well anyway – neither of the smaller ones will work on really compacted soil.

        Turned into a beautiful day, bright sunshine and a few fluffy white clouds, but still really windy. All in all – a good day!

        Liked by 1 person

              1. They have to be re-planted every year but I’ve got plenty of seeds – some of the original seeds and some I saved from mine last year. I’m curious to see if those will come up. I’ll plant a mix of the two and mark them so I know which is which.

                Liked by 1 person

  24. T. Turtle
    T. Turtle
    May 2, 2024 12:23 pm

    I have brought this whistleblower up many times. I believe he was a Pima county election official and blew the whistle on how they added 35,000 votes to every Democrat on the 2020 Ballot in AZ. I haven’t been able to find a link to his initial revelation, until now.

    “Let My People Go” Full Interview: Dr. Walter Daugherity Reveals How 35,000 Illegal Votes Were Added to Democrat Totals in AZ Election and the Massive “Albert Sensor” Back Door Vulnerability”

    Excerpts:
    One of the more shocking revelations in the interview was Daugherity’s finding of 35,000 votes being added to vote totals of democrat candidates up and down the ballot in Arizona and digitally spread out in a controlled fashion to avoid detection. Through a democrat whistleblower’s assistance, Daugherity was able to identify computer-driven vote spikes at precise locations in the electronic records.

    Daugherity concludes the interview detailing how Dominion tabulators in Maricopa were configured not to detect counterfeit ballots submitted in the 2020 election, most of which were printed on illegal paper sourced from Staples and Office Max after Maricopa waited 5 months to produce the paper ballots. Most of the boxes containing the ballots had their seals broken, with chain of custody destroyed, raising questions over whether the ballots recounted in the Maricopa Audit simply replaced legitimate ballots, and printed fake ones during the five month delay.

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/05/let-my-people-go-full-interview-dr-walter/

    Liked by 1 person

  25. watching a lone deer munching on the dandelions all along the outside of the woodshed. then she tiptoes her way thru the shed–past the plow and the tractor to lay down in the empty spot (that i cleared out earlier this year) on the cool ground. hope she doesn’t want to give birth in there

    Liked by 1 person

      1. not really…lol…the afterbirth smell is strong and will attract all sorts of predators to the shed–bears, coyotes, foxes. and she has to tiptoe round equipment in there too

        Liked by 1 person

  27. interesting possible monkey wrench in fani’s case…did she have jurisdiction to file the rico case?

    T. Turtle

    T. Turtle

    May 2, 2024 2:57 pm

    “Did Fani Willis Indict The ‘Fulton 19’ Defendants Without Proper Jurisdiction?”

    Excerpts:If a court rules that she did, her entire case crumbles and would leave her and Fulton County vulnerable to a multimillion-dollar lawsuit.

    He described a letter Willis wrote to the court as he paraphrased Willis’ argument saying that “the rest of the state, the secretary of state, and the governor, they’re all compromised” and elaborated with, “I’m the only one left standing, that can investigate this.” After examining the whole issue more thoroughly, he discovered she may not have the jurisdiction she thought she had.

    Here’s where this gets very interesting: According to Kachouroff, if the court of appeals or the Georgia Supreme Court were to rule in Floyd’s favor, it would mean Willis indicted the defendants without proper jurisdiction. Not only would that cause her entire case to crumble like a house of cards, but such a ruling would also remove her immunity. This would leave her and Fulton County vulnerable to a multimillion-dollar lawsuit for violating the civil rights of each of the defendants

    https://thefederalist.com/2024/05/02/did-fani-willis-indict-the-fulton-19-defendants-without-proper-jurisdiction/

    Liked by 1 person

  28. 🇺🇸Travis Media Group🇺🇸

    @TM1Politics

    JUST IN: Trump’s attorney Emil Bove just absolutely destroyed the credibility of Stormy Daniel’s attorney Keith Davidson, and it resulted in a tense exchange in the courtroom.

    After showing how Davidson has “represented” many clients in hush money cases, Bove said “you were pretty well versed in coming right up to the line without committing extortion, right?”

    Apparently Davidson has been investigated by the FBI after he told Hulk Hogan to pay his client $300,000 or a tape of him could be released.

    At what point will we get a witness to an actual crime who actually dealt with Trump? Right now this entire prosecution has been speculation.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. He does it soooo well but then, he’s had to go thru a lot of adversity during his building years. He’s learned how to fight back.

      Liked by 1 person

  30. Strange Sounds: “Seems to me that whistleblowers at Boeing just keep dying right after they start alerting authorities about what is going on in the company…

    This is the second Boeing whistleblower to die within 2 months… Suspicious? Of course, not. There’s nothing to see here folks. Move along…

    And it seems like Boeing got a bit smarter after the last whistleblower (Mitch Barnett) “committed suicide” in March, in the midst of a deposition. The latest victim, Joshua Dean, ostensibly died of a sudden, fast-spreading infection at 45 years old…

    As reported by the Seattle Times: ‘Dean, a former quality auditor at Boeing supplier Spirit AeroSystems and one of the first whistleblowers to allege Spirit leadership had ignored manufacturing defects on the 737 MAX, died Tuesday morning after a struggle with a sudden, fast-spreading infection.’

    Definitely nothing to see here!

    But don’t worry, the list will probably continue to grow…Boeing has an amazing hit squad. Extremely efficient and talented. It’s too bad that Boeing didn’t put as much effort into the 737 Max and the 787.

    How the hell is this stuff ever normalized… Seriously, I don’t understand. Mega corps murdering honest people in plain sight and society shrugs it off while booking more flights…”

    Liked by 1 person

  31. I am adding a short daily prayer to the board. I would invite each of you, if you wish, to also add one or maybe two of your own liking. I do not want to stifle anyone but please limit yourself to one or two religious postings. here’s one I found that I liked.

    Liked by 1 person

    2. Good night, Pat! BTW, the begonias made it thru the winter – looking kinda scraggly but still doing well and I put them outside now. I also picked up a bunch of plants and 4 new hanging baskets. I’ll be doing some planting yet today, I expect.

      Liked by 1 person

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