About the Painted Lady Butterfly
The Painted Lady butterfly is a beautifully coloured medium size butterfly. The topside of their wings are orange with thick black lines and white spots near the tips of the forewings. The underside is a pattern of black, brown, red-orange and gray with four small spots near the margins.
They are one of the most widespread of all butterflies, as they are found on every continent except for Antarctica, South America and Australia. Every spring they migrate north and unlike many other butterflies, they do not become dormant during the winter and they can’t survive heavy frosts or cold conditions, so they migrate to warmer climates in the winter.
Their habitat ranges, you can find them in all locations in the Pacific Northwest, from meadows to city parks, gardens, and at forest edge. They lay their eggs on host plants which include thistles, oak trees and nettle. When the caterpillars hatch they begin to feed on the host plants and when they turn into adults they feed on the nectar from flowers, including goldenrod, milkweed and asters.
Painted lady butterflies play a vital role in pollination, as they fly from flower to flower and transfer pollen — which helps facilitate plant reproduction, ensuring genetic diversity. They also play a key role in the food chain. Painted lady’s are eaten by other wildlife like birds, bats and spiders. If you would like to adopt a Painted Lady Butterfly to learn about their lifecycle and contribute to a local ecological charity you can adopt one through the order form below.
