Painted Lady Butterflies Habitat

Painted lady butterflies can be found just about anywhere in the world. One reason is because they are able to tolerate colder temperatures and can be found in North America, Africa and Asia, as well as parts of the sub-Arctic. The scientific name for this butterfly is Vanessa cardui, but it is also called the cosmopolitan or thistle butterfly.

Painted Lady Habitats

To put it simply, the painted lady butterfly can be found just about anywhere. Whether in a meadow of wildflowers, a vacant lot or even a sunny mountainside, painted ladies can call just about anyplace home--provided its favorite nectar plant is nearby. Painted ladies love to sip nectar from thistles, cosmos and asters.

Painted Lady Characteristics

The top view of the painted lady is much different from underneath. The top view of the wings are typically orange and brown with black wingtips and "painted on" white and black spots. The underside of the wings are more muted and sort of grayish with white and red markings. Butterflies hold their wings closed when they are resting, so when the painted lady is at rest, it blends in with its woodland surroundings, becoming almost invisible to predators.

Painted Lady Life Cycle

The female lays her eggs on what the baby caterpillar will eat, called the host plant. They prefer thistle but will also eat mallow, hollyhock and malva. Once they hatch, the caterpillar will feed on its host plant for about five to 10 days and then transform into a chrysalis. In roughly another 10 days, the butterfly emerges from the chrysalis and hangs to dry before it flies off into the wild. The butterfly will then find another mate to continue the circle of life before dying. The typical lifespan for the painted lady is about two weeks.

Raising Painted Ladies

These butterflies are quiet easy to rear in captivity, which is why they are often the butterfly of choice for classroom projects. There are even painted lady butterfly kits available online. As long as the egg is kept on its host plant and in a container--those pet store reptile cages are great--and there is something for the caterpillar on which to form its chrysalis, anyone can raise a painted lady. Just remember to release them into the wild after their wings are formed and dry.

Painted Lady Cousins

Belonging to the brush-footed family of butterflies, the painted lady has two other varieties in its line. The American painted lady is similar in color but has large eyespots on the underside of its hindwings. The common painted lady and the West Coast lady have smaller eyespots.

Resources

• North American Butterfly Association