Painted Lady Butterfly

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The Painted Lady may be the most widespread butterfly in the world. It also known as the thistle butterfly and the cosmopolitan (because it is so widespread, occurring in North and South merica, !urope, sia and frica". This flying insect li#es in temperate and some tropical areas. Egg$ The Painted Lady begins its life cycle as an egg that is the si%e of a pin head. !ggs are pale green with &' to &( longitudinal ridges) they are laid on thistle, mallow, or hollyhock lea#es. The incubation period is * to + days. Caterpillar (larva)$ The caterpillar eats continually for + to &, days before it pupates. The yellow-green striped, purple to black caterpillar has long spines on each segment. The caterpillar is up to &.'+ inches (* cm" long. It builds a silky, webbed nest as it feeds, usually eating thistle, mallow, mal#a, hollyhock, sunflower, or canola. s the lar#a grows, it sheds its skin (this is called molting". The time between sheddings is called an instar) each instar has slightly different coloring. Chrysalis (pupa)$ .hen the caterpillar has grown to the right si%e, it pupates. It hangs upside-down from a leaf or branch, and attaches itself with a single silken string. n adult forms from the caterpillar, whose internal structure changes completely. The chrysalis becomes almost transparent when the butterfly is about to emerge. n adult will emerge about / to &, days after the chrysalis has formed. Adult$ .hen an adult emerges from the split chrysalis, it hangs upside down and pumps blood into its four wings, inflating them.Then it waits for its delicate wings to dry. It can fly a few hours after emerging. The adult Painted Lady is mostly black, brown, and orange with some white spots) the underside is gray with white and red markings. The adult has a ' - ' /01 inch (+.& - /.* cm" wingspan. dults sip sweet thistle and clo#er nectar. dults can mate in about a week after emerging) adults only li#e about ' weeks.

Migration$ dults from colder parts of North merica o#erwinter in 2e3ico) adults from northern !urope migrate to North frica and southern !urope. Classification$ 4rder Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths", 5amily Nymphalidae (brush-footed butterflies", 6enus 7anessa, Species cardui.
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