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LinkedInPosts Tagged: Vanessa cardui
Vanessa cardui: Luck Be a Lady
When Frank Loesser (1910-1969) wrote and composed "Luck Be a Lady" in 1950, he wasn't thinking of a butterfly. But when we spotted this Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) in our garden this week, we knew she was lucky. A predator, probably a bird, chunked out parts of both wings, but...
A Painted Lady, Vanessa cardui, with chunked-out wings, nectars on a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifola. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The Painted Lady, looking ready for take-off, sips nectar from a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifola. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Painted Ladies: Yes, They Do!
Yes, they do, and yes, she did. Painted lady butterflies, Vanessa cardui, do lay their eggs on Echium wildpretii, commonly known as "the tower of jewels." However, this little lady (below) persistently returned a few times to find a bee-free spot. She finally claimed a chunk of space near the top...
A painted lady, Vanessa cardui, laying her eggs on a tower of jewels, Echium wildpretii, in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
This painted lady, Vanessa cardui, is foraging on lantana in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A Painted Lady and an Ice Plant
When you're sheltering in, you can still take the dog for a walk--and look for insects. We spotted this Painted Lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui) sunning itself on a carpet of red-purple ice plant (Delosperma cooperi) in west Vacaville on March 20, "the day after the first day of...
A Painted Lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui) flutters on ice plant in West Vacaville on March 20, 2020. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Painted Ladies: What a Delight to See!
In between the rains today, we saw them. So beautiful! Painted ladies, Vanessa cardui, nectaring in patches of colorful wildflowers in the Biological Orchard and Gardens (BOG), located behind the Mann Laboratory on University of California, Davis campus. The migratory butterflies,...
A painted lady, Vanessa cardui, nectars on five-spot, Nemophilia maculate, Wednesday afternoon, in the Biological Orchard and Gardens (BOG), UC Davis campus. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Tidy tips, Layia platyglossa, in the UC Davis Biological Orchard and Gardens (BOG) drew painted ladies, Vanessa cardui, on Wednesday afternoon. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A sign welcomes visitors to the UC Davis Biological Orchard and Gardens (BOG). It is located behind Lot 26, behind the Mann Laboratory, off Kleiber Hall Drive. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Painted Ladies on the Move
The painted ladies are on the move. Have you seen these migratory butterflies, Vanessa cardui, passing through California on their way to the Pacific Northwest? Me? No! Zero. Zilch. Zip. But butterfly guru Art Shapiro, distinguished professor of evolution and ecology, who has monitored the...
A painted lady, Vanessa cardui, photographed on lantana in Vacaville in 2015. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
