A medium sized salmon-coloured butterfly with black markings on the upperside. The forewing underside is similar but paler than the upperside. The hindwing underside is marbled brown and white, with some submarginal black spots. Males and females are similar. The markings are distinctive and it shouldn’t be confused with any other species.
Potentially encountered anywhere - ubiquitous.
Wormwood Artemisia absinthium, Artemisia arborecens, Chinese Mugwort Artemisia verlotiorum, Mugwort Artemisia vulgaris, Carduus acicularis, Musk Thistle Carduus nutans, Musk Thistle Carduus nutans subsp. taygeteus - doubtfully present, Carduus pycnocephalus, Cirsium creticum, Cirsium creticum subsp. creticum, Cirsium italicum, Spear Thistle Cirsium vulgare, Echium angustifolium, Echium angustifolium subsp. angustifolium, Echium arenarium, Italian Viper's-bugloss Echium italicum, Echium italicum subsp. biebersteinii, Echium parviflorum parviflorum, Purple Viper's-bugloss Echium plantagineum, Viper's-bugloss Echium vulgare, Tree-mallow Malva arborea, Malva cretica, Malva cretica subsp. cretica, Malva multiflora, Dwarf Mallow Malva neglecta, Malva nicaeensis, Malva parviflora, Malva punctata, Small Mallow Malva pusilla, Rough Marsh-mallow Malva setigera, Common Mallow Malva sylvestris, Malva unguiculata.
In Corfu, Anne Sordinas has seen larvae feeding on Mallow Malva spp. Gillian Elsom believes the host plant Anne observed was either M. pusilla or M. neglecta.
The butterfly has multiple broods a year, and a well-known long distance migrant, so can be found in any sunny location, particularily on the coast. On occasions Corfu has witnessed truly spectacular numbers of immigrant Painted Ladies. In March 2016 John Denne recorded 2675 sighting of this species in his Arillas garden. This migration was so unusual that John's observation was reported in a television program about the Painted Lady butterfly, made by the BBC.
*The information provided in the tables below is based on verified sightings of the Painted Lady submitted via this website since 1st January 2021.
Year | First | Last/latest | # Days |
---|---|---|---|
2023 | 01/01/2023 | 06/06/2023 | 156 days |
2022 | 10/02/2022 | 31/12/2022 | 324 days |
2021 | 17/01/2021 | 01/12/2021 | 318 days |
Year | Number of observations |
---|---|
2023 | 1123 |
2022 | 544 |
2021 | 201 |
Grand Total | 1870 |
The chart below shows flight data by month for 2023 submitted online since 1st January 2023 to 8th June 2023.
The chart below shows flight data by month based on all data submitted online since 1st January 2019 to 8th June 2023.
For a list of references, please see our bibliography page.