www.ukbutterflies.co.uk

Posted: **Tue May 26, 2009 8:48 pm**

I am trying to find out as much as I can about painted ladies due to this latest influx but have found there isn't a huge amount of information out there (apart from the same few bits constantly repeated). UK Butterflies is my butterfly bible but unfortunately the information here is a bit scarce for once.

So, I am asking the experts, can you fill me in on the life cycle and habits of this beautiful creature?

From my own observations they vary quite a lot in size with the smallest being nearly half the size of the biggest. They also vary a lot in colour, some unworn adults are very bright, others more muted. Some have blue spots at the bottom of the hindwings and others don't. None that I have seen so far were breeding but a few have been very territorial in behaviour.

I understand that they fly northwards until their fat reserves are used up and when they are too knackered to go any further then they breed. Is this right? I've also read that they breed on up to 100 different plants (but prefer thistles in the UK).

Thanks for any help you can offer.

Posted: **Tue May 26, 2009 10:41 pm**

Hi Susie,
Go to the link http://www.birdguides.com/webzine/default.asp to find out a bit more! The smaller ones are probably the result of caterpillar malnutrition, where the foodplant is in short supply through competition. The earlier waves of very faded specimens are older individuals and the more recently observed, fresher specimens are almost certainly the adults from a subsequent generation. The species can go through the entire life-cycle in less than a month if conditions are optimal. We will see several generations appear in the UK throughout this summer. Fading of the colour occurs rapidly, through oxidation of the pigment. If subjected to chlorine gas

this trend is reversed and the colour returns to the wing. They will not attempt to breed until a wave of travellers decides that it is time to 'put down'. While migrating they show only a grim determination to cover as much ground as possible. It is very unlikely that any will make a successful return journey.
Neil

Posted: **Tue May 26, 2009 10:54 pm**

Apparently the Painted Lady migration is happening in USA as well. It only happens once or twice a decade or so I have been told and its happening now. Here is a link: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/stor ... Id=4563896

I have a few more links:

PDF Document on Migration in Europe: http://www.museum.state.il.us/ismdepts/ ... rticle.pdf

Here is a blog on the migration across Europe that might be of interest to people: http://vismig.blogspot.com/

Extract I found interesting from blog (note the number of pupae found):

In haste....Painted Lady Summary

· Phenomenal breeding season in the Atlas Mountains due to winter rain – eg estimated 150,000 pupae in a single field.

· Mass dispersal north across Mediterranean from February.

· UK: Small numbers faded individuals reached UK April-mid May - widely scattered in one's and two's.

· Breeding of African winter brood in Southern Europe Feb onwards.

· Mainland Europe– waves/pulses of northerly migration across the whole of Europe from February onwards – Spain, France, Italy, Mediterranean Islands etc, in the preceding days and weeks, with arrivals in Northern France, Germany and the Netherlands the middle of last week.

· Stable isotope work confirms that they those sampled are from the Atlas Mountains.

· UK: 21st May first substantial arrival detected in the UK, at Portland Bill (~100).

· The big NW movement occurred 24/25 May when at a guess 10-50 million arrived, mainly fresh individuals (those that have bred in southern Europe) plus first generation faded African insects. Big counts all over southern Britain (~50,000 counted), especially East Anglia.

· Small numbers in Northern England but no large arrivals yet….should be any day

· Some starting to settle to breed – eg in Cornwall., SW England

· Also involved in the migration Large Whites, Red Admirals, Clouded Yellows and Silver Y's

· Classic weather conditions for a large arrival over the Bank Holiday – low pressure over Northern France feeding warmer air to Southern/Eastern England. Warm, sunny with easterly winds over Eastern Britain allowing butterflies to migrate strongly NW with a favourable tail wind.

· More are expected – Thursday and Friday this week looks good for another immigration!

· Then we will have the offspring of this brood in July and August, so there should be huge numbers around – I wouldn't like to be a thistle in August!

· This is a global phenomena - with a major movement from Mexico into California happening about a fortnight ago.

I have a question though, will all these large numbers, wouldn't that cause an increase in predators? These are not like monarchs which are poisonous, these can be eaten (as far as I'm aware)

Posted: **Tue May 26, 2009 11:38 pm**

Several reports of numbers seen in Gloucestershire during the past week or so suggests a huge invasion from Europe and possibly North Africa to England. There were several in my garden for most of the day ( Tuesday 26th May 2009 ) during the warm sunshine from about 9 a.m. onwards ~ at least three at one time. All appeared well travelled and of size suggesting bred in drier areas where lush vegatation is scarce. The next generation raised on lush British Thistles will no doubt be of a larger size and not faded from many miles of travel. The warm balmy air currents over the past few days may be assisted their travels...

I check the Gloster Birder website most days and observers looking at Raptors and other birds at Symonds Yat on Tuesday 26th May noted no less than 56 passing the viewing point. Based on those passing through my garden today I can believe that total.... Here are a few I managed to get compact canera digital pictures of despite the steady to strong breezes all day making all the plants and the butterflies in constant motion... Note all faded some markedly so ... all were on the small size:~

I have had females lay on ordinary Common Thistles in my cages many years ago and last time I saw larvae on wild plants was in France in August 1981. On a tall Spear Thistle in a dry field edge when taking a comfort break during travels. The long spear like thistle leaves drawn over into a curved spherical shape about the size of a grapefruit with larval silk ~ very distinctive and it contained a fully grown larva.

A joy to see so many in the garden today, many settling on the walls of the house and garden path slabs to bask in the sun. The bricks and slabs get very warm in the sun and no doubt the butterflies like that warmth.

Lets hope they are followed by another Invasion of one of my all time favourite migrant Butterflies ~ The Clouded Yellow... The earliest I've ever seen one of those in Gloucestershire is mid June.

Posted: **Wed May 27, 2009 4:54 am**

Susie wrote:From my own observations ... Some have blue spots at the bottom of the hindwings and others don't.

Have you seen individuals with blue spots on the upperside of the hindwings? This is the mark of the American painted lady, Vanessa virginiensis (see http://www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/species. ... ted%20Lady), which breeds in Portugal. I've never heard of it migrating north with its cogeners but it does very occasionally get reported in the UK.

Guy

Posted: **Wed May 27, 2009 8:12 am**

I had one yesterday with a slight blue spot.
I didn't notice it until I read this thread.
Denise

Posted: **Wed May 27, 2009 8:53 am**

Facinating stuff; so we now have two sub-species - American and European. (Edit: See Below - Ah Well, Would have been nice!)
With regards to where they may stop - As I understand they are the only butterfly to have been found by the BMS on St Kilda and reading Collins yesterday, they are also seen in good years in Iceland, which has no resident butterflies. Certainly, Susie's comment that they fly until their fat reserves are done and then breed seems to explain why they are so determined to head north without stopping on the way, despite there being the habitat to support them and their offspring. Interesting to note, as befits a traveller like this, that their larvae will eat a wide range of plants - almost anything it seems that is edible!
N

Posted: **Wed May 27, 2009 9:22 am**

Thank you all for such fascinating information. Wonderful stuff and goes a long way to explain this joyeous influx.

My PLs with blue spots are all like Denise's and not the American one (sorry if I got anyone excited!).

The information I had about the butterflies flying until their fat reserves are used up and then breeding came from an american site but I assume the same applies to ours. The same site gave me the information that butterflies from desert areas are duller in colour (even when freshly emerged) whilst those from lushly vegetated areas are more colourful. Obviously colour fades quickly as with any of our butterflies as they age.

Anyway, thank you all again, you're fabulous.

Kipper, who was the clever soul who decided to put painted ladies in chlorine gas?

Posted: **Wed May 27, 2009 9:33 am**

Great article, Kipper, and a lovely picture too!

Posted: **Wed May 27, 2009 10:08 am**

Dave McCormick wrote:...I have a question though, will all these large numbers, wouldn't that cause an increase in predators? These are not like monarchs which are poisonous, these can be eaten (as far as I'm aware)

Any of the birders seen an increase in Hobbies for instance, as a result of this influx?

Posted: **Wed May 27, 2009 10:20 am**

Susie wrote:My PLs with blue spots are all like Denise's and not the American one (sorry if I got anyone excited!).

No, my fault for starting excitement! I see you mean the blue spots in the anal angle, not in the pd area. I habitually check all painted ladies and just once, in 38 years of butterflying, I did find the American species, on the west coast of Portugal in 1991. When fresh, the two species look quite different anyway, but worn ones might not.

Guy

Posted: **Wed May 27, 2009 12:46 pm**

I have a feeling that this year anything could happen, so it doesn't do any harm to know what to look for and keep our eyes peeled.

One more question: I have globe thistle, globe artichoke, giant thistle, various knapweeds, nettles and mallows. Do you think I need to go out and get some thistle plants too for the PLs incase any broody ladies pass by?

Posted: **Wed May 27, 2009 12:53 pm**

I sat in my garden on Sunday pm and watched them fly over at about 1 per 5 secs (South Oxon/berks border), with the occasional group of 10 or so individuals. Didn't see any American ones! However, I did see a couple of Silver Ys which were flying with them and peeled off into my garden to look for somewhere to roost.

Interestingly enough, the PLs were flying in a very tight corridor, SE to NW.

Chris

Posted: **Wed May 27, 2009 1:30 pm**

Susie wrote:Thank you all for such fascinating information. Wonderful stuff and goes a long way to explain this joyeous influx.

My PLs with blue spots are all like Denise's and not the American one (sorry if I got anyone excited!).

The information I had about the butterflies flying until their fat reserves are used up and then breeding came from an american site but I assume the same applies to ours. The same site gave me the information that butterflies from desert areas are duller in colour (even when freshly emerged) whilst those from lushly vegetated areas are more colourful. Obviously colour fades quickly as with any of our butterflies as they age.

Anyway, thank you all again, you're fabulous.

Kipper, who was the clever soul who decided to put painted ladies in chlorine gas?

In a bygone age when most households collected natural history specimens, chlorine was used as a killing agent. A Marbled White placed in a chlorine charged killing bottle turns bright yellow IIRC from my schoolboy days back in the 1950s.

The American Painted lady is very different having very large 'eye' spots which are unmistakeable. Bred some of those back in ther 1980s. A N. American contact supplied livestock.
.

Posted: **Wed May 27, 2009 3:53 pm**

Some mentioned blue spots on painted ladies. I read this on wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Painted_La ... g_features

The hindwings carry 4 small submarginal eyespots on dorsal and ventral sides. Those on the dorsal side are black, but in the summer morph sometimes small blue pupils are present in some.

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