What is Painted lady?
[[File:Butterfly August 2008-3.jpg|thumb|250px|Painted lady]] The '''painted lady''' is a [[butterfly]] in the '''''Cynthia''''' group of colourful [[butterfly|butterflies]]. It is a relative of the [[red admiral]] butterfly. The painted lady is a [[subgenus]] of the [[genus]] ''[[Vanessa (butterfly)|Vanessa]]'' in the [[Family (biology)|family]] [[Nymphalidae]]. They occur in most of the world. They are [[migratory]]. Starting in early [[Spring (season)|spring]], they journey from [[Africa]] to [[Europe]] to the [[United Kingdom]] and eventually the [[Arctic Circle]]. The journey is about 7,500 miles. They travel at up to 30 miles per hour.<ref>''BBC News'' UK. Painted lady butterfly influx needs people to count them. [https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-49041006]</ref> Their caterpillars feed on many different plants. In the UK their [[caterpillar]]s may feed on [[thistle]]s. The lifespan of a painted lady [[imago]] (adult) is only about 2/3 weeks. Its function is dispersal and reproduction. The caterpillar's job is eating and transforming itself into the adult form. == References == {{reflist}} [[Category:Nymphalidae]] {{-}} {{biology-stub}}