# Painted Lady (*Vanessa cardui*) The Painted Lady is a colorful butterfly with orange and black patterns. It loves to visit flowers to drink sweet nectar! - **Category:** [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/insect) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 96 - **Habitat:** Gardens, fields, and grasslands - **Also known as:** Cosmopolitan Butterfly, Thistle Butterfly ![Painted Lady](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771426011/objects/5471.jpg) ## Appearance The Painted Lady has orange and black wings, prominently featuring black tips with white spots on its forewings. Its hindwings display a series of black spots, while the underside is a mottled brown and grey, providing excellent camouflage. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Animalia - **Phylum:** Arthropoda - **Class:** Insecta - **Order:** Lepidoptera - **Family:** Nymphalidae - **Genus:** Vanessa ## Interesting facts - Adult Painted Ladies love to 'puddle' by sipping minerals from damp soil or mud puddles. - Some Painted Ladies fly so high, they catch jet streams to travel thousands of miles faster! - The chrysalis of a Painted Lady often has metallic gold spots, making it look like a tiny hanging jewel! - They have a long, tube-like tongue called a proboscis, which unrolls like a party favor to sip nectar. ## Special abilities - **Global Migrator:** Painted Lady can fly thousands of miles across continents because of its powerful wings and strong navigational instincts. - **Tasteful Feet:** Painted Lady has special sensors on its feet that help them taste potential host plants before laying eggs. - **Camouflage Expert:** Painted Lady has a mottled brown and grey underside that helps them blend perfectly with tree bark or dead leaves. - **Rapid Breeder:** Painted Lady can complete its life cycle in just a few weeks because of warm climates, allowing many generations per year. ## Measurements & details - **Wingspan:** 50-65 mm - **Size:** 20-25 mm - **Lifespan:** 14-28 days - **Flight Speed:** 25 km/h - **Leg Count:** 6 ## Diet & Feeding Adults sip nectar from flowers, while caterpillars munch on leaves. - **Age differences:** Young caterpillars eat leaves, while adult butterflies drink nectar. - **Primary Foods:** Nectar (adults), Thistle leaves, Mallow leaves, Legume leaves - **Foraging Method:** Foraging ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** Canada Thistle (*Cirsium arvense*) — Caterpillars feed on leaves for energy to grow. - **Pollinates:** [Common Milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) — Adults visit flowers, transferring pollen. - **Eaten by:** [House Sparrow](https://www.snappit.app/explore/house-sparrow) (*Passer domesticus*) — Adult butterflies can be prey for birds. - **Eats:** [Common Mallow](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-mallow) (*Malva neglecta*) — Larvae consume leaves as a primary food source. ## Traits - [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats. - [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors. - [Grassland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/grassland): Grassland habitats are terrestrial biomes dominated by grasses and herbaceous plants, supporting a variety of grazing animals. - [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material. - [Diurnal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/diurnal): Diurnal animals are primarily active during daylight hours, typically resting or sleeping at night. - [Migratory](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/migratory): Migratory animals undertake seasonal movements from one region to another, typically in response to changes in climate or food availability. - [Pollinator](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator): Describes organisms that transfer pollen, enabling the fertilization and reproduction of plants. ## Collections - [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/insects) - [Insects](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/insects-and-bugs) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Do not touch or pick up. Some insects sting or bite. Ask an adult for help. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Painted Lady? Compare the wing outline, spots, bands, eyespots and wing edges. The underside can look completely different from the top. Check for tails, the antennae and where the markings sit instead of relying on color alone. Butterfly Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### What is Painted Lady's wingspan? 50-65 mm ### How big is Painted Lady? 20-25 mm ### How long does Painted Lady live? 14-28 days ### How fast can Painted Lady fly? 25 km/h ### What does Painted Lady eat? Adults sip nectar from flowers, while caterpillars munch on leaves. ### Where is Painted Lady usually found? Gardens, fields, and grasslands ### How does Painted Lady hunt? Foraging ## Where to spot - [Alder Creek Grove](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/alder-creek-grove) — California, US · Forest - [Arroyo Conejo Open Space](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/arroyo-conejo-open-space) — California, US · Park - [Black Hawk State Historic Site](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/black-hawk-state-historic-site) — Illinois, US · Park - [Blake Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/blake-garden) — California, US · Botanical Garden - [Botanical Research Institute of Texas](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/botanical-research-institute-of-texas) — Texas, US · Botanical Garden - [Brooklyn Botanic Garden](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/brooklyn-botanic-garden) — New York, US · Botanical Garden [View all places to see Painted Lady](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/painted-lady) ## More Insects - [Common Eastern Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-eastern-bumble-bee) (*Bombus impatiens*) - [Spotted Lanternfly](https://www.snappit.app/explore/spotted-lanternfly) (*Lycorma delicatula*) - [Brown-belted Bumble Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-belted-bumble-bee) (*Bombus griseocollis*) - [Eastern Carpenter Bee](https://www.snappit.app/explore/eastern-carpenter-bee) (*Xylocopa virginica*) --- Source: [Painted Lady: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/painted-lady)