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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » Butterflies and Moths (Lepidoptera) » Butterflies and Skippers (Papilionoidea) » Brush-footed Butterflies (Nymphalidae) » Crescents, Checkerspots, Anglewings, etc. (Nymphalinae) » Nymphalini » Ladies and Red Admiral (Vanessa) » Painted Lady - Hodges#4435 (Vanessa cardui)
Photo#445489
Unknown moth - Vanessa cardui
Copyright © 2010 alilo6

Unknown moth - Vanessa cardui
Linton, Greene County, Indiana, USA
August 20, 2010
Size: appx. 1 inch
Photo taken on a wide path ridge next to marsh areas. Search engine not working quite right. Need help with IDing this one. PS - What is major difference between a moth and a butterfly? Thanks in advance!
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Contributed by alilo6 on 22 August, 2010 - 6:59am
Last updated 14 September, 2010 - 1:47pm

Moved
Moved from Butterflies (excluding skippers).
… Jason D. Roberts, 14 September, 2010 - 1:47pm login or register to post comments

Moved
Moved from ID Request.
… john and jane balaban, 4 September, 2010 - 7:39pm login or register to post comments

butterfly
this is actually a butterfly. it's either the painted lady or american lady. maybe an expert can tell which. i'm also going to let an expert go on about the difference between buterflies and moths. i wouldn't be able to explain it very good.
… Molly Jacobson, 22 August, 2010 - 7:09am login or register to post comments

Painted Lady
Painted Lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui)
One of the most widespread butterflies in North America.

In general, moths rest with wings folded down over their backs, and butterflies rest with wings up vertically. Moths tend to have thicker, shorter bodies than butterflies. Moths tend to have feathery antennae, while butterflies have thin antennae with clubbed ends. However, there are hundreds of moths that look like butterflies, and hundreds of butterflies that look like moths, so you can't use these generalities as rules.
… Kelly Fiegle, 22 August, 2010 - 7:09am login or register to post comments

butterfly
This is actually a butterfly, not a moth. One way to tell is by the clubs on the end of the antennae. Butterflies have these, but moths do not.

This is a Painted Lady.
… Corey Husic, 22 August, 2010 - 7:08am login or register to post comments

 
Painted Lady
Thanks all! Was just getting ready to edit my photo. I did get into the search and saw it was a Painted Lady. Thanks for the wonderful info on the differences between moths and butterflies. Have to commit that to memory now!
… alilo6, 22 August, 2010 - 7:12am login or register to post comments

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