Painted lady as in corresponding "V. virginiensis". The Australian painted lady ("V. kershawi") is quite similar to "V. cardui". Its four ventral eyespots are less clearly defined, and it always sports at least three (often four) blue pupil spots on its dorsal hindwing. Caterpillars are found mainly on "Ammobium alatum". The lifespan of a painted lady butterfly is two to four weeks. The species undergoes complete metamorphosis which has recently been investigated using microtomography. Painted lady The Cynthia group of colourful butterflies, commonly called painted ladies, comprises a subgenus of the genus "Vanessa" in the family Nymphalidae. They are well known throughout
Painted lady with blue pupils. The black forewing tips have four to five white spots; usually the largest is whitish orange. The West Coast lady ("V. annabella") does not have obvious ventral eyespots. On the dorsal side, "V. anabella" lacks a white dot in the subapical orange found in "V. virginiensis", and is a purer orange color. "V. annabella" has a fully orange subapical band and leading edge on the forewing. The submarginal row of hindwing spots in "V. annabella" features three or four blue pupils. The two larger pupils in "V. annabella" are the inner spots, rather than the outer spots