Painted lady butterflies (above) are southwestern in origin. They apparently move northward each year and may do so in large numbers in some years. They are irruptive migrants and it’s thought their migrations are weather related, e.g., El Nino. I’ve seen several in the past week. Painted ladies (Vanessa cardui) may be confused with a more local butterfly within the same genus, American lady (Vanessa virginiensis). American ladies show a white spot in a larger orange rectangular spot on their forewingsRead more