PaintedLady – Thistle Caterpillar – Vanessa cardui
Painted Lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui)
Common Name: Painted Lady, Thistle Caterpillar:
Latin Name: Vanessa cardui
Appearance:
The Painted Lady butterfly is known for its affecting appearance. Its wings are orange-brown with black spots and white and black lines around the sides. It has more modest grey and brown spots on the back of its branches. The wings are about 2 to 2.5 inches (5 to 6 cm) long.
Host Plants: The Painted Lady butterfly larvae, or caterpillars, eat a wide variety of plants, including thistles, mallows, and other Asteraceae family species.
Territory: The Painted Lady butterfly is one of the most common butterflies on the planet, except Antarctica. They are well-known for their migratory habits, with populations crossing continents in response to weather and food availability.
Damages caused by Painted Lady:
The Painted Lady butterfly does not hurt plants directly, but its caterpillars, called Thistle Caterpillars, can be considered pests. They eat the roots and leaves of host plants, which can cause the plant to lose its leaves and maybe even get hurt.
Life History and Habits:
- Egg: The female Painted Lady butterfly lays small, pale-green eggs on host plants to start its life cycle. Eggs like these are usually laid one at a time.
- Larval:Once they hatch, these caterpillars eat the leaves and shoots of their mother plants like crazy. As they grow, they shed their bodies at different times, called “instars.”
- Pupal:The caterpillar turns into a chrysalis when it’s fully grown. The caterpillar changes into an adult butterfly during its transformation inside the cocoon.
- Adult:The Painted Lady butterfly comes out of its hideaway form. Then, it eats juice from different flowers to get enough energy to have babies.