Vanessa cardui

BUTTERFLY INFO

Vanessa cardui is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae on the island of Crete, Greece.

Scientific name

Vanessa cardui (Linnaeus, 1758)

Common name

Painted Lady

Classification

Family: Nymphalidae > Subfamily: Nymphalinae > Tribus: Nymphalini > Genus: Vanessa

Wingspan

Male to female: 55-60 mm

Appearance

Both sexes have a similar appearance. The upper side of their wings is light –orange-brown with several white and black marks. The forewings have a white bar with black color near the apex and the hindwings have a row of five small black dots. The underside of their wings has brown, black, and gray patterns with small submarginal eyespots. The external margin of the hindwing is partially slightly concaved.

The butterfly has a unique appearance in Crete and can’t be confused with any other butterflies on the island.

Behavior

They are powerful flyers and habitually fly from flower to flower, stopping for just a few seconds at each to take nectar. On overcast days, the butterflies often spend long periods basking in small depressions on the ground.

Habitat

Vanessa cardui in Crete can be found in fallow land, fields, gardens, ruderal areas, and waysides. It is extremely adaptable and thus can survive in any of these environments. Vanessa cardui can be found at all elevations during migration but is usually found at elevations as low as sea level year-round, even during the non-migratory time.

Food plant

The polyphagous larva feeds on various plants, i.e. Asteraceae (Carduus sp, Cirsium sp, Onopordum sp), Malvaceae (Malva sylvestris, Lavatera cretica), etc.

Flight period

The butterfly flies in 2 generations per year.

Remarks

Vanessa cardui is another butterfly performing equally impressive migrations. It reaches the island’s coastal areas during migration from Africa and the Middle East, although there can be temporary breeding populations in other regions.

Status*

Least Concern (LC)

(*Red List Greece, 2024)