Correction: painted ladies, not monarchs flooding Iowa's skies

Editors note: We are republishing this story as last week the picture improperly claimed that we were experiencing an influx of monarchs, when the butterfly pictured was in fact a painted lady.

Have you noticed more butterflies in the area than usual? That is because the painted lady butterfly experienced a successful spring migration this year, causing a greater number of butterflies to be able to push to the most northern corners of their habitual range, according to Nathan Brockman of Reiman Gardens. Brockman also notes that the weather in Iowa is favorable for the butterflies, making it possible for multiple generations to thrive before they head south again for winter. Even though many have already made their way south, the numbers will continue to remain high until the first frost.

The medium sized butterflies are experienced travelers, and in some cases are able to travel up to 100 miles a day. Without incident, they can live for up to a year in the wild (from egg to adulthood). As caterpillars, the painted lady is known to eat thistle, sunflowers, okra, and other plants in the Asteraceae family. Because of this, they are sometimes referred to as the “thistle butterfly.” They are also part of a family of butterflies known as brush-foot butterflies, due to their short front legs that are essentially useless.

For the full story, see this weeks Ogden Reporter. Subscribe by calling 1-800-558-1244 ext 122 or email Deb at circulation@midamericapub.com or by clicking here.