Other Common Names
Cosmopolitan, Thistle Butterfly
Explanation of Names
cardui = latin for "of thistle" referring to the caterpillar's food plant.
Identification
Similar to the also common American Lady. Wings look more "rounded" in overall shape in American Lady, and outer margin of front wing is more excavated/concave in American Lady. Upper front wing with large subapical oblong spot near front margin always white in Painted Lady; can be white or orange in American Lady. Five small, instead of two large eye spots on the under hind wing. Compare, on the left, American Painted Lady, Vanessa virginensis, and on the right, Painted Lady (Cosmopolitan), Vanessa cardui:
See this photo for a detailed comparison of the upperwing surfaces:
Also similar is West Coast Lady, Vanessa annabella, but Painted Lady has the large subapical spot near front edge of front wing white; the discal cell of front wing has two (roughly) triangular dark spots; and dark spots on the upper hind wing are most often not or only faintly centered with blue (blue centers more common in the Southwest than elsewhere). In West Coast Lady the oblong spot is a bit larger and orange; there is a dark bar crossing discal cell; and dark spots on the hind wing above are usually prominently centered with blue. Undersides are very similar, but the same pattern differences show on under front wing as on upper side, and eye spots on the hind wing are usually round or oval in the Painted Lady, while at least some are usually heart or kidney-shaped in West Coast Lady. Orange coloring of West Coast Lady less likely to look pinkish than in other two Lady species (where the hue is more varied).
Painted Lady (left); West Coast Lady (right)
Range
Worldwide, except Australia, Antarctica, irruptive--sometimes not present in a given locality for several years then abundant for one year.
Season
April-October in eastern US
Food
Adults take nectar from a variety of flowers, especially Asteraceae.
Life Cycle
Caterpillars feed on Asteraceae, esp. thistles. An irruptive migrant.
Remarks
Irregular in Piedmont North Carolina. Invasions seem to occur at long intervals of several years.
Internet References
The Vanessa Migration Project. Help contribute to scientific knowledge about these butterflies.
