Wild Guide: Painted Lady

Like the American lady, the painted lady is an orange-and-black butterfly with white spots on the dark forewing tips and white cobwebbing on the brown undersides of the hindwings. Painted ladies have four small eyespots on the underside of the hindwing. Larvae are greenish-yellow to lavender, with yellowish spines and a yellow stripe on the sides. The painted lady is found worldwide, except for South America and Antarctica. It occurs in nearly any kind of open habitat.

Did You Know?

The commonness and abundance of this butterfly make it an excellent subject for biological investigation. Schoolchildren witness the process of larval growth and metamorphosis. Professional biologists study the migration patterns and mating behaviors..