This morning, my husband and I stepped out of our house to walk our dogs, and were mobbed by Painted Lady butterflies! 
There were dozens in our yard, sipping nectar from sunflowers and oregano.
As we walked through the neighborhood, the numbers increased. They were everywhere. Delightful!
Painted ladies are on every continent except Australia and Antarctica. (Painted Lady Vanessa cardui) Like the much more famous Monarch butterflies, Painted Ladies use multi-generational migrations. They start in Mexico, and take several generations to move into Canada, then turn around and take several generations to get back to Mexico (at least I think that’s how it works…) They do the same thing in Europe, migrating to tropical Africa. Nature Nut: Have you seen the painted ladies ‘invasion’? Nobody knows how they know where to go.
They do this every year. Some years, the migration is bigger. And some years, like this year, the migration is enormous.
Happy to have seen it.
Beautiful photos, Amy! Thank you for sharing your experience and expertise!
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Also, how do you still have sunflowers in bloom? Mine are gone, gone, gone.
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These beauties have been so prolific this season and much to my delight. Was just thinking how many there have been but only 3 Swallowtails all season. Still, the pretty orange flitting from plant to plant is a joy to watch. Just wish they’d cooperate a bit more with some stationary posing-mine seem to dash off before I can get my camera focused on their pretty little selves. 🦋
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Love the pics,never knew the butterflies were called painted ladies.Thanks
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