 Wingspan
Male: 58 - 70mm
Female: 62 - 74mm |
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Painted Lady
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Cynthia cardui
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Linnaeus, 1758 |
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Ref: 1591 |
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| Superfamily: | Papilionoidea |
| Family: | Nymphalidae |
| Subfamily: | Nymphalinae |
| Genus: | Vanessa |
| Subgenus: | Cynthia |
| Species: | cardui |
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Male |
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Male Underside |
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Female |
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Female Underside |
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This species is a migrant to our shores and, in some years, the migration can be spectacular. The most-recent spectacle, in 2009, is considered to be one of the greatest migrations ever, with sightings from all over the British Isles that are definitely on a par with previous cardui years. This species originates from north Africa, and it has been suggested that the urge to migrate is triggered when an individual encounters a certain density of its own kind within a given area. This theory makes perfect sense, since this species can occur in high densities that result in foodplants being stripped bare on occasion with many larvae perishing as a result. Unfortunately, this species is unable to survive our winter in any stage. This is a real shame, for not only does this species often arrive in large numbers, but is a welcome sight as it nectars in gardens throughout the British Isles in late summer.
This butterfly has a strong flight and can be found anywhere in the British Isles, including the Orkneys and Shetlands. An interesting fact is that this butterfly is the only species recorded from Iceland.
Adults are first seen in late March as they start to arrive on our shores and numbers build up in May and June as further migrants arrive from the continent. These breed and give rise to the next generation that peaks between mid-August and early October. There may be more than one brood in the British Isles each year - depending largely on the weather. This butterfly is continuously brooded on the continent, which may be the cause of its ultimate demise in the British Isles, since it seems unable to survive our winter in any stage. However, it is thought that some individuals may make an attempt at a return migration in autumn. 
This butterfly can be found almost anywhere, from the seashore and town gardens, to the tops of the highest mountains. This is one of the few species that can breed in intensive farmland since even these sites typically contain a patch of Thistles, the primary foodplant of this species.
The primary larval foodplant is Thistles (various) (Cirsium spp. and Carduus spp.). Common Nettle (Urtica dioica), Mallows (various) (Malva spp.) and Viper's-bugloss (Echium vulgare) are also used.
Adults feed primarily on Thistles (Cirsium spp. and Carduus spp.). Bird's-foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), Bugle (Ajuga reptans), Carline Thistle (Carlina vulgaris), Hawkweeds (Hieracium/Hypochoeris), Heather (Calluna vulgaris / Erica spp.), Ivy (Hedera helix), Knapweeds (Centaurea spp.), Privet (Ligustrum vulgare), Ragwort (Senecio jacobaea) and Red Clover (Trifolium patense) are also used.
A newly-emerged adult is flushed with a beautiful salmon-pink and is a most-beautiful insect. This colouring, however, fades rapidly with the passage of time - adults not only appear drab, but are occasionally missing various pieces of their wings, especially the apex of their forewings, no doubt the result of nectaring on plants such as Thistles and Brambles.
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![Painted Lady [Nick Sampford]](image_generator.php?src=phpBB/gallery/images/cache/8f87768de3c539324f018e10a3c5bd7c.jpg&r=223&g=246&b=216 "Painted Lady [Nick Sampford]") |
Photo © Nick Sampford
06-Jul-2003 |
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Painted lady Aston Rowant Bold Hill 02 08 2009
Sezar Hikmet
Photo © sahikmet
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Description to be completed
Eggs are laid singly on a leaf of the foodplant, usually on the leaf upperside. They are light green when first laid but turn grey before hatching. This stage lasts just over a week.
On emerging from the egg, the larva moves to the underside of the leaf to feed on the cuticle. This leaves a transparent patch when looked on from above, and the young larva can be quite easy to find as a result. As the larva grows, it builds a silk tent around one or more leaves from which it feeds. This makes them very easy to find in the wild but difficult, no doubt, for a predator to penetrate. As the larva continues to grow, it builds successively larger tents, providing tell-tale clues of its presence to the trained eye. Larvae seldom leave their original plant and, if several eggs are laid on the same plant, this can lead to starvation as the number of larvae outstrips the available food source. Larvae need good periods of warmth to reach the pupal stage and perish in prolonged periods of cold and damp. There are 4 moults in total.
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![Painted Lady - larva - Forton, Somerset 23 July 09 [Adrian Dexter]](image_generator.php?src=phpBB/gallery/images/cache/afb17a061d9898fa5224fea033576d44.jpg&r=223&g=246&b=216 "Painted Lady - larva - Forton, Somerset 23 July 09 [Adrian Dexter]") |
Photo © Adrian Dexter
23-Jul-2009 |
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The pupa is formed in a tent of vegetation, using either the foodplant or some other convenient shrub, loosely spun together with silk. The pupa is hung upside down within the tent, attached by the cremaster. This stages lasts around a fortnight.
Description to be completed
Click here to see the distribution of this species overlaid with specific site information. Alternatively, select one of the sites listed below.
Long term distribution and population trends both show an increase. Since the presence of this species in the British isles is wholly dependent on immigrants from the continent, this species is not a conservation concern. |
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From The State of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland and the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UK BAP) (2007 review).
The following links provide additional information on this butterfly.
The species description provided here has been derived from the author's own observations and the information contained in the following works:
- A Natural History of British Butterflies, by F.W.Frohawk.
- British and Irish Butterflies, by Adrian M. Riley
- South's British Butterflies, by T.G.Howarth (which is based extensively on the classic work, "The Butterflies of the British Isles", by Richard South).
- The Butterflies of Britain and Ireland, by Jeremy Thomas and Richard Lewington.
- The Millennium Atlas of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland, by Jim Asher, Martin Warren, Richard Fox, Paul Harding, Gail Jeffcoate, Stephen Jeffcoate.
- The Moths and Butterflies of Great Britain and Ireland Volume 7 (1) Hesperiidae to Nymphalidae (the Butterflies), by A. Maitland Emmet and John Heath (editors).
- The State of Butterflies in Britain and Ireland, Richard Fox, Jim Asher, Tom Brereton, David Roy and Martin Warren.
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![Painted Lady [Nick Sampford]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/8f87768de3c539324f018e10a3c5bd7c.jpg "Painted Lady [Nick Sampford]")
![Painted Lady - ovum - Unknown location - 2004 [REARED] [Reg Fry]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/3f5ad45123aad4ad563cc15747a87107.jpg "Painted Lady - ovum - Unknown location - 2004 [REARED] [Reg Fry]")
![Painted Lady - larva - Forton, Somerset 23 July 09 [Adrian Dexter]](phpBB/gallery/images/upload/afb17a061d9898fa5224fea033576d44.jpg "Painted Lady - larva - Forton, Somerset 23 July 09 [Adrian Dexter]")
