Spot Painted Ladies Before They Go South

These big, fast-flying beauties are hard to miss

- Julian Rollins

Even at this end of September, there’s a chance you still have butterflies in and around the garden. On rainy days they keep out of sight, but will soon reappear if the weather turns warm and sunny.

One of the most striking of these late season butterflies is the painted lady. It’s a big, fast-flying beauty that’s hard to miss.

Its wings are a mosaic of white, black and a colour that’s somewhere between salmon pink and terracotta. When an adult painted lady first emerges from its chrysalis the colours of its wings are remarkable, but they soon fade and are, by now, more muted.