The Painted Lady Butterfly

 Accenting the Fall Flowers

The warm seasonal temperatures of this fall in 2011 have been such a delight to just get out with the camera and see what shows up.  Over the last few weeks, I've noticed a large number of Painted Lady butterflies that are highlighting the sunflowers along my walkway.  All I've had to do was just set up my D90 with the Nikon 150mm 2.8 macro lens on the tripod and click away.  

The Painted Lady butterfly, Vanessa cardui, also known as the thistle butterfly or cosmopolitan is one of the most widespread of all butterfly species because it is found in temperate and tropical areas across the globe. 

The adult Painted Lady's open orange wings extend  around 2 1/2 inches, 5-6 cm and are accented with white, blue and black circles.  

When folded, the underside of the wing is a duller shade of gray and brown with the leading edge accented in a white bar and smaller white spots.  Four small eyespots are visible on the hind wing. 

 

Even with pieces missing from this Painted Lady's wings, it seems to have no trouble maneuvering and flying. 

Painted Lady on a Rabbit Bush, Chrysothamnus nauseosus, that is native to the Great Basin Desert and blooms from August through October.    

Since the life cycle of the Painted Lady butterfly is just a short two weeks, I will enjoy as much time as possible with these amazing creatures that flutter across my yard visiting each sunflower that is still in bloom.

For additional information:

http://nathistoc.bio.uci.edu/lepidopt/nymph/plady.htm

http://www.earthsbirthday.org/butterflies

Photographs Make Great Gifts

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What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been.  I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences. 

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Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.

 "Reflecting Nature's Artistry" 

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