Painted Lady

Description:

Painted Lady wings are orange and brown on the upper side. The leading edge of the forewing appears black with a prominent white bar and smaller white spots. The underside of the wings is markedly duller, in shades of brown and gray. When the butterfly sits at rest with wings folded together, four small eyespots are noticeable on the hindwing. The Painted Lady caterpillars are more difficult to identify, since their appearance changes with each instar. The early instars appear worm-like, with light gray bodies and a darker, bulbous head. As they mature, the larvae develop noticeable spines, with a dark body mottled with white and orange markings. The final instar retains the spines, but has a lighter color. The first few instars live in a silken web on a leaf of the host plant. Painted Lady caterpillars feed on a variety of host plants, particularly thistle, mallow, and hollyhock.

Habitat:

The Painted Lady inhabits open meadows and fields, disturbed areas and roadsides, and generally any sunny place that provides appropriate nectar and host plants.