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Australian Painted Lady (Vanessa kershawi)
Description:
The adult is seen flying low and fast through open landscapes such as parklands, gardens and grazed paddocks where introduced foodplants such as Capeweed are common. The impression is of a medium-sized butterfly, orange with black and white markings. Up close, the perched individual can be seen to have a pattern of black and orange. The underside is more cryptically marked with mottled patterns.
Distribution:
This species is one of the most common medium-sized indigenous butterflies in the Melbourne area.
The adult is seen flying low and fast through open landscapes such as parklands, gardens and grazed paddocks where introduced foodplants such as Capeweed are common. The impression is of a medium-sized butterfly, orange with black and white markings. Up close, the perched individual can be seen to have a pattern of black and orange. The underside is more cryptically marked with mottled patterns.
Habitat:
The caterpillars feed on the native and introduced daisy (Asteraceae) species. It may also be seen feeding on the flowers of shrubs found in open habitats such as Bursaria spinosa.
Threats:
This species is likely to be very secure due to its ability to utilise exotic food plants including widespread intractable weeds. Of more concern may be long-term pressure on the native food plants where populations of this butterfly have been presumably permanently and artifically enhanced by the prevalence of the introduced daisies such as Capeweed *Arctotheca calendula.
What can we do?:
Local indigenous species listed as larval foodplants include Chrysocephalum apiculatum, Chrysocephalum semipapposum, Helichrysum scorpioides, Plantago varia and Gnapahlium species.
Bibliography:
Braby, Michael, F. (2000) Butterflies of Australia Vol. 2 pp. 581-583. CSIRO