Painted Lady (Vanessa cardui) is in the Brush-footed Butterflies family (Nymphalidae). Across the U.S., iNaturalist users have logged 89,115 research-grade observations of it in our sample, peaking in September.
Seasonal pattern in the national data: seasonal. Counts also reflect when people are out photographing, so compare months within a state rather than across states.
When to photograph Painted Lady: observations by month (U.S.)
About Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui is a well-known colorful butterfly, known as the painted lady, or in North America as the cosmopolitan. This butterfly has a strange habit of flying in a sort of screw shape.From Wikipedia via iNaturalist — article, CC BY-SA.
Painted Lady by state
| State | Observations | Peak month | Main season |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 24,090 | April | Mar–May |
| Texas | 10,993 | October | Aug–Nov |
| Colorado | 4,575 | September | Apr–Oct |
| Arizona | 4,529 | August | Jul–Apr |
| Illinois | 4,320 | September | Aug–Oct |
| Ohio | 3,042 | September | Aug–Oct |
| New Mexico | 2,523 | July | Jul–Oct |
| Minnesota | 2,489 | September | Aug–Sep |
| Oregon | 2,242 | July | Apr–Aug |
| Indiana | 1,916 | September | Aug–Oct |
| Missouri | 1,807 | September | Aug–Oct |
| Utah | 1,643 | April | Apr–May |
| New York | 1,573 | September | May–Oct |
| Washington | 1,542 | May | Apr–Aug |
| Nebraska | 1,445 | September | Jul–Oct |
| Maryland | 1,180 | September | Aug–Oct |
| Oklahoma | 1,118 | October | Aug–Oct |
| Virginia | 1,114 | October | Aug–Oct |
| Kansas | 1,108 | September | Aug–Oct |
| Iowa | 1,096 | September | Aug–Oct |
| Nevada | 1,083 | April | Mar–Oct |
| Wisconsin | 1,031 | August | Jul–Oct |
| Pennsylvania | 956 | August | Jul–Oct |
| North Carolina | 922 | August | Aug–Oct |
| Arkansas | 849 | September | Aug–Oct |
| Massachusetts | 845 | September | Jun–Oct |
| Idaho | 747 | July | Apr–Aug |
| New Jersey | 702 | September | Jul–Oct |
| Tennessee | 684 | October | Aug–Oct |
| Michigan | 633 | August | Aug–Oct |
| Kentucky | 599 | September | Aug–Oct |
| Vermont | 582 | September | Sep–Sep |
| South Dakota | 580 | September | Aug–Oct |
| Wyoming | 520 | July | May–Oct |
| Florida | 419 | October | Jul–Nov |
| Maine | 417 | August | Jul–Oct |
| Alabama | 396 | September | Aug–Oct |
| Georgia | 396 | August | Aug–Oct |
| Montana | 359 | July | May–Sep |
| North Dakota | 338 | August | Aug–Sep |
| Connecticut | 314 | September | Aug–Oct |
| Louisiana | 297 | September | Aug–Nov |
| New Hampshire | 198 | August | Jun–Oct |
| South Carolina | 188 | October | Aug–Oct |
| Mississippi | 172 | September | Jul–Nov |
| District of Columbia | 154 | September | Aug–Oct |
| Delaware | 133 | September | Aug–Oct |
| Hawaii | 82 | March | Mar–Jul |
| West Virginia | 81 | August | Aug–Oct |
| Rhode Island | 73 | September | Aug–Sep |
| Alaska | 20 | June | May–Aug |
Main season = months with at least 30% of the state's peak-month count.
Related butterflies (Brush-footed Butterflies)
Monarch
Gulf Fritillary
Common Buckeye
Red Admiral
Pearl Crescent
American Lady
Variegated Fritillary
Queen
Photography tips
- Butterflies are sluggish on cool mornings — the best time for close approaches.
- Keep the sensor parallel to the wings for edge-to-edge sharpness.
- Nectar plants in bloom are reliable places to wait.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Painted Lady?
Nationally, September has the most observations, with the main season from July to October.
Where is Painted Lady most often seen?
The most observations come from California, Texas, Colorado.