The Painted Lady is one of 10,000 species of Lepidopterans that is common to most temperate regions of North America. It is an insect belonging to the suborder Rhopalocera. It is also a member of the Thistle Butterfly family and have a wingspan of 2.5-3.2 cm (2-2.3 inches). Dark brown, and pretty orange, yellow and white spots on wings are characteristic of this family. Other common species include: Red Admiral, West Coast Lady and American Painted Lady.

Butterflies undergo complete metamorphosis, which means they have four distinct stages in their life: egg, larva (caterpillar), pupa (chrysalis) and adult butterfly.

Painted ladies, like all butterflies, use their proboscis to drink nectar from flowers. In particular they prefer Thistles and Pearly Everlasting. Eggs are laid on the plant. Just before they hatch, the tiny larva can be seen inside the egg case.

This tiny bristly caterpillar makes a webbed net on leaves and stems and feeds constantly. Each time the larva grows, it shed its skin. The time between sheddings is called an instar, and each instar has slightly different coloring than the one before.

Butterfly larva breathe through tiny holes on each side of the first segment in their thorax and the first 8 segments of their abdomen. Their first 3 pair of legs are jointed and become legs of the adult butterfly. The back legs are called "prolegs" which means false legs, and these disappear in the chrysalis.

Once it has reached the appropriate size, about 2.5 cm (1 inch), the larva pupates by hanging upside down on leaves or branches and attaches the chrysalis with a single string. Air temperature and moisture levels determine how long it takes for the chrysalis to metamorphose into an adult butterfly. At room temperature, it is within a few days.

Adults emerge, pump their scale-covered wings full of blood and feed on thistles before mating and laying their eggs. Females have larger abdomens than males and males have claspers at the end of the last body segment. Adults also have compound eyes and the proboscis which may be as long as their body. Adults migrate on an irregular basis.

Adult Painted Ladies prefer open fields and meadows where thistles grow. They usually have two broods per year in northern areas, more in the south. The spring brood tends to be darker colored than later broods as temperature determines color. Experiments have been done where fall caterpillars have been refrigerated and the adult was darker colored like a spring adult would be. Fall adults also tend to be larger than spring adults. The egg to adult cycle takes about 2 weeks, depending on temperature.

Numbers of Painted Ladies peak in July each year. You can attract these beautiful butterflies to your yard to observe by planting flowers they like, providing shallow water or draining wet sand, putting out a butterfly bait (see recipe in Bill Merilees book below) and keeping the area pesticide-free.

Eggs and tiny caterpillars can be ordered from Biological Supply houses to be raised in class or at home. Order early as they are not available year 'round!

by Donna Hill B.Sc. B.Ed. 1998

Here is are good books to learn about more butterflies and moths, available at your local library:

Golden Nature Guide Butterflies & Moths Robert T. Mitchell & Herbert S. Zim
Attracting Backyard Wildlife Bill Merilees Voyageur Press, 1989 Has a good section on attracting Butterflies & Moths to your garden