Page 283 - The Book of Caterpillars: A Life-Size Guide to Six Hundred Species From Around the World

BUTTERFLY CATERPILLARS

FAMILY Nymphalidae
DISTRIBUTION Every continent, except Antarctica
HABITAT Most habitats from urban to mountaintops
HOST PLANTS Wide variety, including thistle (Cirsium spp.), nettle (Urtica spp.),
mallows (Malvaceae), and legumes (Fabaceae)
NOTE Well-known species often reared to teach students
about metamorphosis
CONSERVATION STATUS Not evaluated, but widespread and common

ADULT WINGSPAN
2¾–3 in (70–75 mm)
CATERPILLAR LENGTH
1¼ in (32 mm)
VANESSA CARDUI
PAINTED LADY 281

(LINNAEUS, 1758)

Painted Lady caterpillars hatch from green, inconspicuous
eggs laid singly on host plants. Their development is rapid,
taking three weeks from egg hatch to pupation. Adults eclose
ten days later. The caterpillars feed on leaves primarily, and
all instars build protective nests made out of a web of silk;
in later instars these incorporate leaves that are curled or silked
together. First instars feed and rest on upper leaf surfaces,
covering themselves with a few strands of silk. Nests become
more complex as the caterpillars mature, but there is only one Actual size
caterpillar per nest. A considerable amount of frass collects at
the bottom of the nest.

As the caterpillars wander before pupating, the pupae are usually
formed in sheltered areas away from the host plant. Immature
stages do not diapause, but adults migrate toward lower latitude
areas in the fall and overwinter in climates with mild winters.
Northerly migrations with enormous numbers of individuals
sometimes occur in spring in North America and Europe.

The Painted Lady caterpillar is highly
variable in coloration, especially in later
instars. The ground color is usually black
with variable red, yellow, and white
markings. Branched spines occur along the
body and are yellow or white with dark tips.
Ventrolaterally, the body is pale or white,
and the head is black.