Wingspan: 45–52 mm
Flight period of butterflies: in several generations from March to October
Larval food plants: many species from different families, especially species from the genera Cirsium, Carduus, Echium and Malva
The Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) is an exceptional flyer that migrates over long distances and even arrives here from Africa. We actually find it almost everywhere where its larval host plants grow, from sea level to the highest peaks. The Painted Lady is a large butterfly that uses a lot of energy over its lifetime, which is why adult butterflies are attracted to nectar-rich plants, especially thistles and other plants from the family Asteraceae.
The upper side of its wings is reddish-orange and speckled with black spots, the tip of the forewings is black with white spots. The hindwings are brownish-white marbled on the underside, and along the outer edge it has a band of five differently sized eyespots.
