ÿþ<html> <head> <title>Regional Species - Painted Lady</title> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <meta name="keywords" content="Painted Lady, Vanessa cardui"> <meta name="description" content="The Painted Lady butterfly in North Wales"> <LINK REL="StyleSheet" HREF="../../branch.css" type="text/css"> <SCRIPT language="JavaScript"> <!-- if (parent.location.href == self.location.href) window.location.href = "../../index.html?species/painted_lady/index.html"; // --> </SCRIPT> </head> <body class="background"> <a name="top"></a> <table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" width="100%"> <tr> <td width="1" bgcolor="#cccccc"><img src="../../images/dot.gif" border="0" width="1" height="1"></td> <td valign="top" class="content"> <blockquote> <SPAN class="page-title">Regional Species</SPAN> <br><br><br> <SPAN class="article-subtitle">Painted Lady</SPAN><br><SPAN class="scientific-name">Vanessa cardui</SPAN> <br><br> <table border="0" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" width="408"> <tr><td><img src="photo_1.jpg" width="400" height="296" alt=" Painted Lady" border="2"></td></tr> <tr><td><h5>Photograph by Janet Graham</h5></td></tr> </table> </blockquote> </td> <td valign="top" class="content"> <!-- NAVIGATION ELEMENT - BACK TO SPECIES INDEX PAGE --> <table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td><a href="../index.html" onFocus="this.blur();"><img src="../../images/right.gif" width="19" height="19" border="0"></a></td> <td class="links"><a href="../index.html">Regional Species</a></td> </tr> </table> <br clear="all"> <p>&nbsp;</p> <SPAN class="subtitle">About the Painted Lady</SPAN> <p class="content">The Painted Lady is a cosmopolitan species which arrives in North Wales each year in varying numbers but probably never survives the winter. The one-way journey thus seems to be entirely pointless and rather hard to explain in evolutionary terms. There appears to be little evidence for a reverse migration. Some years see a much larger influx than normal; 1996 and 2003 were notable years but 2009 was quite exceptional in modern times. Enormous numbers of individuals arrived in May of that year and could be seen anywhere in North Wales. Breeding did take place on a massive scale leading to predictions of even higher numbers later in the year. However, for unknown reasons the second generation, although numerous, failed to live up to these expectations.</p> <p class="content">The butterflies can be found in any habitat and are often seen  summit hopping on the tops of the highest mountains. Butterflies arriving early in the year may breed and give rise to a further generation. Thistles are the preferred larval foodplants although nettles are also used.</p> <p class="content">A distinctive butterfly which must be familiar to almost everyone.</p> <p class="content">&nbsp;</p> <p class="content">Further information available from the <a href="http://www.trawsgoed.com/nwleps.aspx?tp=but&Let=P" target="noframe"> NW Lepidoptera Database</a>, including access to detailed records, maps, flight-time charts and photographs.</p> </td> </tr> <tr><td colspan="3" class="sidebar">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="../../images/top.gif" width="10" height="10" hspace="4" border="0"><a href="#top"><SPAN class="thispage">Top of page</SPAN></a> | <a href="../index.html"><SPAN class="thispage">Regional Species</SPAN></a></td></tr> <tr><td colspan="3" align="right"> <table border="0" cellpadding="10" cellspacing="0"><tr><td align="right"><h5><SCRIPT language=JavaScript src="../../_scripts/copyright.js"></SCRIPT></h5></td></tr></table> </td></tr> </table> </body> </html>