Description

• Common Name : Painted Lady
• Scientific Name : Cynthia cardui (Linnaeus)
• Family : NYMPHALIDAE
• Wingspan : 55-70mm
• Colour : Upperside of wings is pinkish-red marked with black spots. The underside is disruptively marked with grey, black, white and a few red spots and lines.
• Habit : One of the most widely distributed butterflies of the world. It flies swiftly and flies close to the ground in the open areas; very difficult to recognise as it is very well camouflaged with the background; when rests, sits with its wings closed or partly closed. Photographed at Digha.
• Larval Host Plants : Zornia gibbosa, Debregeasia bicolor, Tricholepis sp., Artemisia sp., Blumea sp. etc.
• Location : Throughout West Bengal

SELECT OTHER SPECIES OF NYMPHALIDAEAngled CastorCommon BaronGaudy BaronWhite-edged Blue BaronBaronetClub BeakTiger BrownCommon BushbrownDark Brand BushbrownWhite-bar BushbrownCirceCommanderGreen CommodoreConstableTawny CosterYellow CosterGrey CountCourtesanCommon CrowMagpie CrowStriped Blue CrowCruiserFrench DukeCommon EarlDanaid EggflyGreat EggflyIndian Purple EmperorCommon EveningbrownHimalayan FiveringCommon FourringIndian FritillaryCommon JesterKnightLeopard LacewingRed LacewingPAINTED LADYCommon LascarAutumn LeafCommon LeopardCommon MapCommon NawabNiggerOrange Oak LeafCommon PalmflyBlue PansyChocolate PansyGrey PansyLemon PansyPeacock PansyYellow PansyPopinjayBlack PrinceBrown PrinceTawny RajahIndian Red AdmiralTailed Red ForesterChestnut Streaked SailerCommon SailerDingy SailerYellow Jack SailerBlackvein SergeantColour SergeantCommon SergeantStaff SergeantLarge SilverstripeBlue TigerChestnut TigerDark Blue TigerGlassy TigerPlain TigerStriped TigerIndian TortoiseshellBamboo TreebrownStraight-Banded TreebrownVagrantCommon WoodbrownLarge Yeoman