After the big rain storm here this week, the sky has been full of beautiful Painted Lady butterflies for the last few days. They have been flitting around our front garden, flying across the road as we drive back from Playa Honda and yesterday there were hundreds of them whilst we were out jogging along the Jable. They seem to quite like perching on the ground, then flouncing away as we pass by. I have never seen so many of these delicate insects.
I say 'delicate' but on further investigation, I have learnt that they must actually be quite tough, strong and resilient. I also learnt that these little insects travel 12,000 kilometers annually and traverse the Sahara twice, in a circular migration route. They migrate from tropical Africa to Europe and back again, where their fate thereafter remains an uncertain mystery.
The migratory circuit of the Painted Lady is the longest known by any species of butterfly. More details about the study are here: The Worldwide Painted Lady Migration
Their Latin name is Vanessa Cardui, which means 'Thistle Butterfly'; the leaves of the thistle plant being the staple food for the caterpillars.
They are the most widely distributed butterfly in the world, hence being also known as the Cosmopolitan Butterfly in the USA.
I found out that the collective noun for butterflies is usually 'swarm' or sometimes 'rabble', both of which are really quite unflattering considering their beauty and charm. Another, less-used collective noun is a 'kaleidoscope of butterflies', which is far more appropriate for these colourful, trippy mariposas.
Here's my Painted Lady Butterfly Haiku (for Chelle).
Painted Lady Butterfly Haiku
kaleidoscopic shower
of Painted Ladies
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