Painting the garden with summer
Vanessa kershawi, known commonly as the Australian painted lady, busy in my garden. Not a full dorsal shot, but lovely enough to share.
So pretty, the pale brown underwings and the delicate pattern of orange and brown on the upper wings, with tiny blue/lilac eyespots on the hind wings.
Australian painted ladies here in New South Wales migrate in great numbers in spring, moving on a front that extends for about 600 km inland from the coast. This migration can continue for up to eight weeks, with the main movement being in a south/south-westerly direction.
I gather males and females are virtually identical in form and markings, so not sure which I saw here.
Larvae feed on native everlastings and other daisies, as well as introduced plants such as this elfin herb (Cuphea hyssopifolia).
5 cm wingspan.
© All rights reserved.
Painting the garden with summer
Vanessa kershawi, known commonly as the Australian painted lady, busy in my garden. Not a full dorsal shot, but lovely enough to share.
So pretty, the pale brown underwings and the delicate pattern of orange and brown on the upper wings, with tiny blue/lilac eyespots on the hind wings.
Australian painted ladies here in New South Wales migrate in great numbers in spring, moving on a front that extends for about 600 km inland from the coast. This migration can continue for up to eight weeks, with the main movement being in a south/south-westerly direction.
I gather males and females are virtually identical in form and markings, so not sure which I saw here.
Larvae feed on native everlastings and other daisies, as well as introduced plants such as this elfin herb (Cuphea hyssopifolia).
5 cm wingspan.
© All rights reserved.