"Nearly everybody has heard of the amazing migrations of the Monarch butterflies. But there is another butterfly that is a phenomenal migrator – Painted Lady butterflies. Painted Lady butterflies are found throughout the world. In the Western U.S. they begin their migration in the Southwest and can fly as fast as 30 mph at 6-12 feet above ground traveling up to 100 miles per day, thus they can reach more northern areas well ahead of Monarchs. I have seen Painted Lady butterflies migrating through the Sinlahekin and Chiliwist Wildlife Areas and they definitely look like they are on a mission! I found them very difficult to capture as they seemed to rarely land and only momentarily.

"Thistles are the larval plant host of Painted Lady butterflies, in particular the caterpillars use the native “wavy-leaf thistle”, but will use non-native thistles as well. They nectar on dandelion, rabbitbrush, Canada thistle, osier dogwood, and chokecherry - to name a few plants.