Vol 4 # 4
Painted Ladies return! No, get your mind out of the gutter, not the
ladies of the night in Vegas but the Painted Lady butterflies! They are the
orange and black butterflies you see all over the dandelions and the front of
your car. Check this website’s insect I.D. section under “caterpillars”
for photos of the larva and butterfly. It’s been about ten years since we’ve
seen a migration like the one this year. Any of you who have driven back from
Arizona or even just along the interstate here in Idaho the last couple of days,
know what I mean. Thirty or forty of these hit your windshield and you need to
stop and do some washing. They had gotten as far as Yellowstone National Park on
27 April.
For your next cocktail party, this is one of the most widely distributed
insects worldwide. In North America, they start out in Mexico and Arizona and
other warm spots along the border. After developing there, the adults migrate
north. They belong to the group of thistle caterpillars.That means they feed on,
you got it, thistles. Later in the year You’ll find the dark, spiny
caterpillar working over the Canada thistle and other thistles. You’ll feel
really good about this, poetic justice and all. The caterpillars also feed on
malva, amsinckia, burdock, lupine, nettles, artichokes, beans, and sunflowers.
So, for the most part, they are beneficial because they feed on weeds and
provide a great food source for birds and other insectivores(how about that for
a big word!). You might find then on a desirable plant though, and you may think
about getting them off those.
Let’s just wait, see what happens, and enjoy the migration. We don’t
often get to see such a display. Happy Bugging!