Painted Lady

Painted Lady Vanessa cardui  #4435 can be seen in our area most of the year.  It does not like freezing temperatures and heads south in the winter.   In the teaching garden I found it nectaring on Zinnias and Lantana.  The host plants for its eggs and caterpillars are quite varied including thistles, mallows, legumes, fiddlenecks and other spring annuals.  In photos that show the topside of the hindwing, notice a row of small eyespots inside the outer edge of the wing.  These eyespots are not connected.  The underside of the hindwing has a row of 4 small eyespots encircled with a lighter color.