Painted lady
Vanessa cardui

Type of Insect: butterfly
Size: medium
Overall Color: pinkish orange and black and white
Larval Foods: thistles and other plants
Adult Foods:
Larval Type: caterpillar
status: common
Description: probably the most common butterfly in the U.S., migrates north in huge numbers, basically pinkish orage above with black and white marks

Kingdom: Animalia (Animals)
Phylum: Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class: Hexapoda (Insects)
Order: Lepidoptera (butterflies,moths)
Family: 04 Nymphalidae (brushfoots)
SubFamily: 02 Nymphalinae (brushfoots)
Genus: Vanessa
Species: cardui