280. Painted Lady

The Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui ) is likely the most numerous species of butterfly in the world, and one of the most widespread.  It inhabits both the new and old worlds, most of the northern hemisphere and some of the southern.  In North America it is a regular breeder in the deserts of the southwest and Mexico.  In some years there is a migration northward and millions of Painted Ladies are on the move.  Included in these are the ones that reach B.C. - usually in the early spring and looking quite ragged.  Here they breed, and their offspring emerge as butterflies in July, often larger than the migrants that were their parents.  

It is thought that these butterflies seldom are able to overwinter and do not migrate back southward,  so it is a dead-end for the population  and we rely on a new wave of immigrants for our next crop of Painted Ladies.  This is an early date for a 'fresh' Painted Lady for us, July 1 - no doubt the result of record high June temperatures on southern Vancouver Island this year.

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