COLUMN: Painted lady butterflies on the move
Many of us are well aware that monarch butterflies migrate but did you know that painted lady butterflies also migrate? These medium-sized orange and black butterflies are sometimes confused with monarchs but are an entirely different species of butterfly. Their migration is equally amazing and fascinating and is finally beginning to become clear to scientists across the globe as citizen scientists help collect important data.
Painted lady butterflies are noted as one of the most widely distributed of all butterfly species, with individuals said to be found on most continents except South America. Painted lady butterflies have a wing span of 2 to 3.5 inches with orange-brown wings blanketed by black and white spots on their forewings. The undersides of their wings are mottled brown and orange with four distinct eye spots on their lower wings.
Painted lady butterflies are generalists when it comes to host plants and can be found using around 300 different species of plants worldwide to lay their eggs on. Plants in our area that are suitable host plants for larva include thistles, daisy, burdock, hollyhock, aster, mallows, and most legumes.
Adult painted lady butterflies migrating during the fall in our area prefer nectar from flowers like asters, sedum, goldenrod, and zinnias. The past few weeks I have counted over 20 painted lady butterflies nectaring on single sedum plants in several different locations. Maybe you’ve observed large numbers too.
Painted lady butterflies in North America are currently heading south for the winter, heading to warmer regions in the southern United States and northwestern Mexico, where they will continue their lifecycle.
Painted lady butterflies are multigenerational travelers, often with 3-6 generations between each round trip. Studies have found that in Europe and Asia, epic migrations each year span thousands of miles from Africa to the Arctic and back. It has also been discovered that these small butterflies can travel at altitudes over 1,500-2,000 feet at speeds up to 30 mph. Citizen science and university based research is showing similarities here in North America.
You can help contribute your sightings to the 2017 Vanessa (Painted Lady) Migration Project by visiting http://vanessa.ent.iastate.edu/. Important information needed includes your sightings, the date, directional migration of butterflies, and local weather conditions.