Painted Lady Butterfly Facts

There are many interesting facts about the painted lady butterfly. Let’s get started by exploring the life of this beautiful, delicate creature.


The painted lady butterfly is a very interesting creature. It can grow up to 5 inches. The painted lady has a wingspan of 6 to 8 inches. The painted lady’s body contains 10% water and they eat nectar from flowers or fruit juices. They can travel up to 6 miles in one day, giving them the nickname “flying postman.” It was once believed that it was the last type of butterfly to migrate north in the spring and south in the fall.

The wings are mostly brownish-gray with large patches of red, orange, and yellow. The painted lady butterfly did not get its name from its colors but rather from the way it moves. They are named “painted ladies” because they are drawn to flower patches and will often settle on flowers while feeding.

The Life Cycle of a Painted Lady Butterfly

The butterfly has a short life cycle. A single adult butterfly can produce up to four generations in its lifetime. The life cycle of the painted lady butterfly starts by hatching from eggs laid on the host plant (genus Calendula). The eggs are light green in color and stick to the leaves like tiny pieces of green chewing gum or paint spatters. They hatch between 3-5 days after they are laid.

Where Do Painted Ladies Live?

It is important to have a perfect habitat for a painted lady. A perfect habitat for a painted lady includes a variety of wildflowers, shrubs or bushes, and a water source. If you find a butterfly near these things your chances of attracting them are good.

The painted lady is not able to fly in cold temperatures. Painted ladies are more susceptible to frostbite than most other butterflies because their wings are only covered by scales which don’t protect them from the cold as well as other butterflies’ wings do. This makes it difficult for them to live in some parts of Canada, Europe, Russia, and the United States.

Why Is The Painted Lady Butterfly So Beautiful?

The painted lady butterfly is one of the most well-known and instantly identifiable butterflies in the world. It’s also one of the easiest to spot because there are many different types of this species that can be found in various areas, which means that you’ll always be able to spot one.