• Sunrise at the Cholla Cactus Garden

    Joshua Tree

    National Park California

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  • Pinto Basin Road Renovation

    Pinto Basin Road is being renovated. On weekdays you may encounter travel delays of up to 30 minutes. Cholla Cactus Garden is closed on weekdays. Cottonwood Visitor Center hours are 9 to 4 on weekdays, 8 to 4 weekends. More »

  • Rattlesnake Canyon Will Remain Closed Through May

    To provide additional time to mitigate the vandalism, Rattlesnake Canyon will remain completely closed to the public for another 30 days. More »

Painted Lady

Family Nymphaliae (Brush-footed)
Genus & Species Vanessa cardui
 
Painted Lady
 
Description upper side has tawny ground color, wing base is brown, oval white spot on forewing, black bar on forewing, hind wing has submarginal white spots; underwings have complex pattern; 2 to 2.5-inch wingspan
Food thistles, mallow, yellow fiddleneck, sunflowers
Life History multiple broods; egg pale green, barrel-shaped; laid singly. Caterpillar varies from chartreuse with black marbling to purplish with yellow back stripe
Habitat parkwide
Activity
Conservation Status common
Where to look Wilson Canyon, Jumbo Rocks, Indian Cove
Notes The number of immigrants fluctuates greatly from one year to the next. Unlike the Monarch’s annual round-trip outings, the movements of the Painted Lady are essentially one-way.

Did You Know?

Desert Tortoise

The reptiles of Joshua Tree National Park include one tortoise, 18 lizards, and 25 varieties of snakes. More...