Painted Lady Butterfly (vanessa cardui)

This painted lady was spotted in our spring meadow along with seven others. They tend to be seen in mid to late summer in the UK. However in the autumn all painted lady butterflies either die or migrate to Africa to avoid the cold winter - that's a round trip of 9,000 miles. They migrate in large groups which can include up to six generations of butterflies. During migration, they fly at up to 30 miles an hour and at an altitude of 3,000 feet. 

Painted lady populations in the UK change each year and usually reach a peak every ten years. In those peak years, we will see lots more painted lady butterflies around.