Painted ladies flutter by en masse
The Front Range has been taking on a tinge of orange. Not because of fall foliage, but rather a large migration of the painted lady butterfly.
In recent days, people taking a stroll through Cheesman Park noticed butterflies scattering to get away from underfoot. Drivers down Monaco Parkway have seen clouds of butterflies. And residents leaving their houses throughout the area have stumbled across hoards of butterflies enjoying their rosebushes and other flowers.
“I have been getting phone calls from people all over the Front Range in many different counties,” Butterfly Pavilion lepidopterist Sarah Garrett said Wednesday. “Last week, I spoke to folks in North Dakota and South Dakota who have seen them. They are making their way progressively through these Western states.”
It’s typical to see painted ladies migrate during this time of year, but not in such
large numbers, she said. It’s probably because of a great summer season of breeding that boosted the population, she said.
Painted ladies, commonly mistaken for monarch butterflies, are considered a cosmopolitan species that are found across the continental U.S.
But once the temperatures get colder, days become shorter and plants die off, the butterfly makes its way to Arizona, New Mexico and northwestern Mexico to enjoy the Southwest winter.
Colorado is also one of the top five states for butterfly diversity. It’s common to find them in gardens and open spaces with
Colorado is also one of the top five states for butterfly diversity. The butterflies will be back in late April or early May, but in smaller numbers.
an abundance of flowers. Painted ladies have eyespots on the underside of their wings and brown coloring on both sides, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. They are smaller than monarchs and have a wingspan that’s less than 3 inches.
Last weekend and early this week were probably the peak period for the butterflies, she said. But residents will be able to see the butterflies again, though in smaller numbers, during late April and early May.
Garrett said the abundance of painted ladies shows why it’s important to have flowers in a garden from spring to fall, instead of just peak summer months.
“The animals that depend on these plants need them starting in the spring when they emerge or they migrate and they need them through the fall,” she said.
To help pollinators, Garrett recommended perennial plants and plants that bloom throughout the season. Native examples are the yarrow and milkweed. Painted ladies also like asters, a wide group of plants that include sunflowers. Lavender is also beneficial.