Painted lady (Vanessa cardui)
The painted lady butterfly belongs to the family of nymphalidae. These butterflies have a wingspan of between 45 and 60 mm. The upper side of the wings is orange-black in color and has a short white band at the end of the wings. The underside also has a brown base color and is decorated with several blue-black eyes per wing. The upper wing has a reddish band on the underside.
The caterpillars reach a length of up to 40 mm. They are covered with numerous spines and have a brownish to slightly yellowish base color. The sides of the caterpillar are streaked with yellow. The individual pairs of legs are reddish in color. The spine bases can take on a red color.
During the summer, painted lady butterflies can be found throughout Europe – in winter, they hibernate in Africa.