Painted Lady Butterfly

I've been a little disappointed that I haven't seen more Painted Lady (or their American Lady cousins) this season, but I did find a pair early in the summer at Sourland. (I believe these are pictures of separate butterflies, though all I can say for sure is that there were 2 there, and they'd occasionally flutter in the same general airspace, making it hard to track the individuals.)

This is considered the most widespread butterfly in the world, with populations living in the Americas and in Eurasia/Africa. They also engage in absurdly long migrations, especially some that range from Africa to northern Asia.

You can tell the first picture is a Painted Lady because the orange in the forewing lacks a small white dot. That dot is a key differentiator from the American Lady.

June 25, 2021 at Sourland Mountain Preserve
Photo 141962788, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)


In the second picture we can see the underwing. If you look at the hind wing, you should be able to see 4 eyespots along the wing rim. The American Lady butterfly would have 2 spots that are larger than the 4 we see here.

June 25, 2021 at Sourland Mountain Preserve
Photo 141962905, (c) jpviolette, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)


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