Tag Archives: Painted Lady

Dull orange and brown butterfly with white markings

Painted Lady. Photo: Warren Port

Warren says:

I took this photo of a Painted lady this morning (11/5/2025) at Dewlands Common, Verwood. The first one I have seen this year. There were also Brimstones, Speckled woods and a Green hairstreak, as well as lots of heath moths.

An orange butterfly with black and white markings on white flowers

Painted Lady. Photo: Felicity Lewis

Felicity sent in this photo telling us:

I spotted this Painted Lady yesterday, 25/02/2025 on heather at Holme for Gardens, West Holme, Wareham, BH20 6AQ amongst an absolute host of honey and bumble bees.

An orange butterfly with black and white markings on a pink flower

Painted Lady. Photo; Sue East

Two butterflies - one orange with black and white markings and the other red, black and brown with some white markings

Red Admiral and Painted Lady. Photo: Sue East

Two photos from Sue both taken today, 22/10/2024 in her Hinton St Mary garden and sent in telling us:

The sunshine and warmth this morning brought an unexpected flurry of late autumn butterflies to our garden including this Painted Lady and Red Admiral.  Also seen on the Ivy flowers were two Commas.

An orange butterfly with black and white markings on a pink flower

Painted Lady. Photo: Brian Edge

Brian sent in this photo taken yesterday, 03/10/2024 telling us:

All the way to Corfu Castle I walked, seeing plenty of autumn butterflies on the way – Peacock, Red Admiral, Speckled Wood, Wall Brown, even a tatty lone Adonis Blue – but for the Painted Lady I had to wait until I arrived home in Swanage.

A greyish brown and part blue butterfly with black, white and orange markings on a purple flower

Common Blue. Photo: Mike Kirby

An orange butterfly with black and white markings

Painted Lady. Photo: Mike KIrby

Two photos from Mike sent in saying:

Here are a couple of photos taken at Southbourne during the last week. With all the excitement of Long-tailed Blues and Clouded Yellows it would be easy to have overlooked all the more regular species that have been showing well along the undercliff – along with Wall Lizards on the zig-zags.  For now though, it’s a case of “rain stopped play”.

An orange butterfly with black and white markings on a purple flower

Painted Lady. Photo: Sarah Sherran

A brown moth with some paler markings on a pinkish flower

Silver Y Moth. Photo: Sarah Sherran

Two photos from Sarah sent in telling us:

I took these two photos in my Stoborough garden a few days ago – I usually have quite a few Painted Lady’s in the garden in late summer but this is the first one I’ve seen this year. I was very relieved as I thought I wasn’t going to get any at all this year. The Silver Y I haven’t seen in the garden before but I know they’re pretty common. 

After such a poor year all round for insects we’ve have had a bit of a surge in the garden in the last couple of weeks.  A lot more butterflies, moths, shield bugs and crickets and a lot of the pollinator plants have had a late bloom as well which has really helped.