Mission Monarch coordinator
It is called the Painted lady (Vanessa cardui), and it is the most common species of butterfly in the world. In Canada, it seems to follow a cycle: rare in some years, it returns in great numbers other summers. This year, observations of this species abound. With its orange wings, it can remind us of the monarch and deceive the eye of several observers.
Do you know how to differentiate it from the monarch?
Some similarities…
Like the monarch, the painted lady belongs to the family of nymphalids. It is also a migratory species that, having flown in Canada from April to October, migrates to the southern United States or to Mexico for the winter. Two or three generations can be observed during the summer.
… and differences!
If its colors can recall those of the monarch, the patterns displayed on its wings are quite different. The painted lady has no black veins, like those of the monarch, but rather brown spots. On the back of its hind wings, visible when the butterfly has its wings closed, we can distinguish four ocelli – round spots recalling eyes.
With a wingspan of about 6 cm, the painted lady is also smaller than the monarch, which can reach up to 10 cm wingspan. The flight of the painted lady is rapid and erratic, unlike the slow floating of the monarch.
Have you seen painted ladies?
At first glance, the two orange butterflies can easily be confused. To make sure you report the right butterfly, take pictures. The pictures are a great help to confirm the identifications. You can also rely on the Monarch Identification Sheets and the Commonly confused form to validate your observations.
Remember to report monarch observations on the Mission Monarch website. And if you saw painted ladies? Contribute to the research on butterflies, by reporting your observations on eButterfly! Your Mission Monarch login information also works on this site.
Good butterfly watching!
(Photo: André Sarrazin)
(Photo: André Sarrazin)
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