The Painted Lady is the world's most widely distributed butterfly, found on every continent except Antarctica and Australia. Its salmon-orange wings have intricate black, white, and brown markings and a row of small eyespots on the hindwing underside. In irruption years it can appear in enormous numbers across North America, undertaking multi-generational migrations spanning thousands of miles.
Habitat
Open areas, gardens, fields, dunes, and roadsides worldwide
Diet
Larvae: thistles, mallows, and many other plants. Adults: nectar
How common
Common
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