Painted Lady cardui larvae

Painted Lady Vanessa cardui

The Painted Lady butterfly occurs in more continents of the world than any other butterfly. The larvae are easy to rear on Thistle (its preferred food plant), Stinging Nettle, Mallow, Burdock, Hollyhock and will often take other foodplants. An ideal species for schools.

Each larva lives solitarily from birth. It spins a protective silk cover, living at first off the leaf cuticle. When possible, keep the larvae on a growing foodplant, which enables the caterpillar to make its silk cover, and move on to fresh food when it requires. If kept on cut food, please ensure that the plant is kept fresh and changed before the quality of the food suffers. This of course applies to all species, but the method has to take into account the solitary habit of the larva, and its protective silk.

Depending on temperature, the larvae pupate in a little over a month. Butterflies emerge in 2-3 weeks. The cycle continues throughout summer and several broods are possible in a season.

The butterflies can be kept with nectar flowers for some days, and then released to breed in the wild.

Available throughout the year but not always instantly. There may be a delay of a couple of weeks if larvae are not at the right size for sending.  The next larvae are expected in spring.

Ten Painted Lady larvae £12.95

20 Painted Lady larvae £20.95

FOR PUPAE PLEASE SEE PUPAE SECTION