Master Gardeners of Ventura County
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Master Gardeners of Ventura County

Posts Tagged: Vanessa cardui

Vanessa cardui: Luck Be a Lady

When Frank Loesser (1910-1969) wrote and composed "Luck Be a Lady" in 1950, he wasn't thinking of a butterfly. But when we spotted this Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) in our garden this week, we knew she was lucky. A predator, probably a...

A Painted Lady, Vanessa cardui, with chunked-out wings, nectars on a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifola. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A Painted Lady, Vanessa cardui, with chunked-out wings, nectars on a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifola. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A Painted Lady, Vanessa cardui, with chunked-out wings, nectars on a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifola. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The Painted Lady, looking ready for take-off, sips nectar from a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifola. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
The Painted Lady, looking ready for take-off, sips nectar from a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifola. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

The Painted Lady, looking ready for take-off, sips nectar from a Mexican sunflower, Tithonia rotundifola. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Posted on Friday, August 25, 2023 at 5:17 PM
Focus Area Tags: Environment, Innovation, Natural Resources, Yard & Garden

Painted Ladies: Yes, They Do!

Yes, they do, and yes, she did. Painted lady butterflies, Vanessa cardui, do lay their eggs on Echium wildpretii, commonly known as "the tower of jewels." However, this little lady (below) persistently returned a few times to find a bee-free spot. She...

A painted lady, Vanessa cardui, laying her eggs on a tower of jewels, Echium wildpretii, in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A painted lady, Vanessa cardui, laying her eggs on a tower of jewels, Echium wildpretii, in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A painted lady, Vanessa cardui, laying her eggs on a tower of jewels, Echium wildpretii, in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

This painted lady, Vanessa cardui,  is foraging on lantana in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
This painted lady, Vanessa cardui, is foraging on lantana in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

This painted lady, Vanessa cardui, is foraging on lantana in Vacaville, Calif. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Posted on Thursday, May 7, 2020 at 4:29 PM

A Painted Lady and an Ice Plant

When you're sheltering in, you can still take the dog for a walk--and look for insects. We spotted this Painted Lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui) sunning itself on a carpet of red-purple ice plant (Delosperma cooperi) in west Vacaville on March 20, ...

A Painted Lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui) flutters on ice plant in West Vacaville on March 20, 2020. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A Painted Lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui) flutters on ice plant in West Vacaville on March 20, 2020. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A Painted Lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui) flutters on ice plant in West Vacaville on March 20, 2020. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Posted on Monday, March 23, 2020 at 4:39 PM
Focus Area Tags: Economic Development, Environment, Natural Resources, Yard & Garden

Painted Ladies: What a Delight to See!

In between the rains today, we saw them. So beautiful!  Painted ladies, Vanessa cardui, nectaring in patches of colorful wildflowers in the Biological Orchard and Gardens (BOG), located behind the Mann Laboratory on University of...

A painted lady, Vanessa cardui, nectars on five-spot, Nemophilia maculate, Wednesday afternoon, in the Biological Orchard and Gardens (BOG), UC Davis campus. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A painted lady, Vanessa cardui, nectars on five-spot, Nemophilia maculate, Wednesday afternoon, in the Biological Orchard and Gardens (BOG), UC Davis campus. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A painted lady, Vanessa cardui, nectars on five-spot, Nemophilia maculate, Wednesday afternoon, in the Biological Orchard and Gardens (BOG), UC Davis campus. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Tidy tips, Layia platyglossa, in the UC Davis Biological Orchard and Gardens (BOG) drew painted ladies, Vanessa cardui, on  Wednesday afternoon. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
Tidy tips, Layia platyglossa, in the UC Davis Biological Orchard and Gardens (BOG) drew painted ladies, Vanessa cardui, on Wednesday afternoon. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Tidy tips, Layia platyglossa, in the UC Davis Biological Orchard and Gardens (BOG) drew painted ladies, Vanessa cardui, on Wednesday afternoon. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A sign welcomes visitors to the UC Davis Biological Orchard and Gardens (BOG). It is located behind Lot 26, behind the Mann Laboratory, off Kleiber Hall Drive. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A sign welcomes visitors to the UC Davis Biological Orchard and Gardens (BOG). It is located behind Lot 26, behind the Mann Laboratory, off Kleiber Hall Drive. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A sign welcomes visitors to the UC Davis Biological Orchard and Gardens (BOG). It is located behind Lot 26, behind the Mann Laboratory, off Kleiber Hall Drive. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Posted on Wednesday, March 20, 2019 at 5:20 PM
Focus Area Tags: Agriculture, Environment, Innovation, Natural Resources

Painted Ladies on the Move

The painted ladies are on the move. Have you seen these migratory butterflies, Vanessa cardui, passing through California on their way to the Pacific Northwest? Me? No! Zero. Zilch. Zip. But butterfly guru Art Shapiro, distinguished professor of...

A painted lady, Vanessa cardui, photographed on lantana in Vacaville in 2015. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)
A painted lady, Vanessa cardui, photographed on lantana in Vacaville in 2015. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

A painted lady, Vanessa cardui, photographed on lantana in Vacaville in 2015. (Photo by Kathy Keatley Garvey)

Posted on Tuesday, March 19, 2019 at 4:35 PM
Focus Area Tags: Environment, Natural Resources

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