These images of the Australian Painted Lady were taken a few days ago with the Nikon D3000, on auto. Many smaller butterflies have arrived and I’m guessing they’re juveniles. I have never experienced so many butterflies all at the one time like this before! So many species of all sizes flitting about at all levels. I was fortunate to spot that Lesser Wanderer when I did for, apparently, my milk thistles aren’t attractive after all.

I can’t stop taking photos of the Painted Ladies. I was trying to get some different angles when I noticed the sunlight lighting the back of this one with a golden sheen.

I made these images a little bigger and using the image posting format.

Thanks for looking. Do have a good weekend.

🙂

Butterflies & Moths

Australian Painted Lady

A couple of photos taken this morning with the Nikon D3000.

Thanks for looking.

Do have a wonderful weekend. 🙂

Butterflies & Moths

Australian Painted Lady

I was taking photos of bees in my red bottlebrush bush when I spotted this butterfly up high in the tree outside our kitchen windows.

I discovered that it is called the Australian Painted Lady. It has an alternative name of Blue-Spotted Painted Lady because of its tiny blue spots on its hind wings. I didn’t get close enough to see those clearly. The male genitalia is different from other painted ladies, so ours is considered a separate species (Vanessa kershawi).

In Spring, the adult butterflies migrate southward from Queensland and New South Wales, sometimes en masse.

I will have to keep an eye open for caterpillars. They love daisies, including capeweed. I haven’t seen many of these butterflies about, though, so I do not like my chances.

So, I wandered off to another part of the garden and I could hardly believe it landed right by me. Just a little too far away. Certainly does not look much with the wings closed. You can see the white ends of his antennae.