Painted Lady

Name: Painted Lady

Scientific name: Vanessa cardui

Category: Minibeasts

Nature Stars: 40

What are nature stars?

About: A fairly large orange, black and white butterfly with a wingspan of about 7cm. The Painted Lady is a migrant to the UK from North Africa and southern Europe during the summer, sometimes, such as in 2009, in enormous numbers. A frequent visitor to gardens where they feed on buddleia and other flowers. The caterpillars feed on thistles.

How to identify: May be confused with Red Admiral or Small Tortoiseshell. The pale orange colour, with black wing tips spotted with white is characteristic.

Where: Found right across the country.

Natural Superpowers

• Predator: 10
• Agility: 70
• Rarity: 40
• Cute factor: 70
• Traveller: 90

Fantastic fact: Painted Lady is one of the most widespread species of butterfly, found right across the northern hemisphere.

Photograph credit: Keith Warmington/www.warmies.co.uk