Vanessa cardui

Vanessa cardui (Linnaeus, 1758)
(one synonym : Cynthia carduelis)
European Painted Lady
NYMPHALINAE , NYMPHALIDAE

Don Herbison-Evans ( donherbisonevans@yahoo.com )
&
Stella Crossley

(Photo: courtesy of Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center)

This Caterpillar is black with branched hairs. It is a popular Caterpillar to raise in schools. It has been reported to feed on over 100 plant species, including:

Spear Thistle ( Cirsium vulgare, ASTERACEAE ),

Hollyhock ( Althaea rosea, MALVACEAE ),

Tree Mallow ( Lavatera arborea, MALVACEAE ), an

Mallow, ( Malva sylvestris, MALVACEAE ).

and it is a pest outside Australia on

Sunflowers ( Helianthus annuus, ASTERACEAE ).

Guernsey, 1981

The adult butterflies have a wing span around 5 cms. They are mottled orange and black, with a small white markings in the black areas, and each hindwing has a blue streak at the tornus.

The undersides are paler but have a similar pattern.

They are a worldwide species, occurring for example in :

Swaziland, and

United States of America.

The Caterpillar is seldom found in Australia. The species has mainly been found in

Western Australia, and in

South Australia,
where it seems that migrant adults have crossed the Indian Ocean from Africa.