The painted lady butterfly vs. the monarch butterfly
A Washington State University butterfly expert described painted ladies as a “cosmopolitan” butterfly because they can be found on every continent aside from Antarctica. The ladies are coming to town, and Spokane residents can expect to see them in droves this year due to California rains. Because of their orange and black coloring, painted ladies are often mistaken for the much rarer monarch butterfly.
Section:Gallery
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A painted lady butterfly lands on Morag Stewart's wildflowers in her All Saints Community Garden, Monday, May 20, 2019, at the corner of Fourth Avenue and Spruce Street in Spokane, Wash.
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Painted lady caterpillars eat thistles.
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The wingspan of a painted lady is about one to two inches.
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The wingspan of a monarch butterfly wingtip to wingtip reaches from three to four inches.
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Monarch caterpillars prefer milkweed.
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