Painted Lady
Vanessa cardui (Linnaeus, 1758)
Painted Lady in all of Ohio
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Arthropoda
- Class
- Insecta
- Order
- Lepidoptera
- Family
- Nymphalidae
- Genus
- Vanessa
Range
Where it is recorded
Season shown in 1 of Ohio's 88 counties. Explore Ohio
- No result yet (20)
- Recorded, too few records for a result (50)
- Recorded, season not shown (17)
- Season shown (1)
Counties as a table
| County | Records |
|---|---|
| Adams County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Allen County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Ashland County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Ashtabula County | 46 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Athens County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Auglaize County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Belmont County | No qualifying records yet |
| Brown County | No qualifying records yet |
| Butler County | 45 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Carroll County | No qualifying records yet |
| Champaign County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Clark County | 23 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Clermont County | 21 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Clinton County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Columbiana County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Coshocton County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Crawford County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Cuyahoga County | 57 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Darke County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Defiance County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Delaware County | 21 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Erie County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Fairfield County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Fayette County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Franklin County | 102 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Fulton County | No qualifying records yet |
| Gallia County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Geauga County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Greene County | 58 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Guernsey County | No qualifying records yet |
| Hamilton County | 111 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Hancock County | 26 · Season shown |
| Hardin County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Harrison County | No qualifying records yet |
| Henry County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Highland County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Hocking County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Holmes County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Huron County | No qualifying records yet |
| Jackson County | No qualifying records yet |
| Jefferson County | No qualifying records yet |
| Knox County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Lake County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Lawrence County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Licking County | 29 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Logan County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Lorain County | 28 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Lucas County | 28 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Madison County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Mahoning County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Marion County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Medina County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Meigs County | No qualifying records yet |
| Mercer County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Miami County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Monroe County | No qualifying records yet |
| Montgomery County | 83 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Morgan County | No qualifying records yet |
| Morrow County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Muskingum County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Noble County | No qualifying records yet |
| Ottawa County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Paulding County | No qualifying records yet |
| Perry County | No qualifying records yet |
| Pickaway County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Pike County | No qualifying records yet |
| Portage County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Preble County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Putnam County | No qualifying records yet |
| Richland County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Ross County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Sandusky County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Scioto County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Seneca County | No qualifying records yet |
| Shelby County | No qualifying records yet |
| Stark County | 22 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Summit County | 22 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Trumbull County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Tuscarawas County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Union County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Van Wert County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Vinton County | No qualifying records yet |
| Warren County | 32 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Washington County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Wayne County | 40 · Recorded, season not shown |
| Williams County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Wood County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
| Wyandot County | Recorded, too few records for a result |
No mapped range from the range source used, the USGS Gap Analysis Project, which maps land vertebrates only.
Season
When it is recorded
In Lorain County
Not enough evidence
Records per week from 28 records in 6 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not a season or how common it is.
Show as a table
| Week | Records of Painted Lady | Years recorded | Records of all species |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 4–10 | 0 | 0 | 193 |
| Jan 11–17 | 0 | 0 | 115 |
| Jan 18–24 | 0 | 0 | 75 |
| Jan 25–31 | 0 | 0 | 59 |
| Feb 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 101 |
| Feb 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 99 |
| Feb 15–21 | 0 | 0 | 84 |
| Feb 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 49 |
| Mar 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 114 |
| Mar 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 103 |
| Mar 15–21 | 0 | 0 | 258 |
| Mar 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 139 |
| Mar 29 – Apr 4 | 0 | 0 | 228 |
| Apr 5–11 | 0 | 0 | 376 |
| Apr 12–18 | 0 | 0 | 561 |
| Apr 19–25 | 0 | 0 | 560 |
| Apr 26 – May 2 | 0 | 0 | 1,122 |
| May 3–9 | 0 | 0 | 824 |
| May 10–16 | 0 | 0 | 793 |
| May 17–23 | 0 | 0 | 901 |
| May 24–30 | 1 | 1 | 886 |
| May 31 – Jun 6 | 0 | 0 | 771 |
| Jun 7–13 | 0 | 0 | 797 |
| Jun 14–20 | 0 | 0 | 1,124 |
| Jun 21–27 | 0 | 0 | 954 |
| Jun 28 – Jul 4 | 0 | 0 | 770 |
| Jul 5–11 | 0 | 0 | 973 |
| Jul 12–18 | 0 | 0 | 957 |
| Jul 19–25 | 0 | 0 | 1,240 |
| Jul 26 – Aug 1 | 1 | 1 | 912 |
| Aug 2–8 | 0 | 0 | 907 |
| Aug 9–15 | 0 | 0 | 769 |
| Aug 16–22 | 1 | 1 | 768 |
| Aug 23–29 | 5 | 2 | 788 |
| Aug 30 – Sep 5 | 3 | 3 | 959 |
| Sep 6–12 | 1 | 1 | 907 |
| Sep 13–19 | 3 | 2 | 817 |
| Sep 20–26 | 0 | 0 | 745 |
| Sep 27 – Oct 3 | 3 | 2 | 508 |
| Oct 4–10 | 5 | 2 | 597 |
| Oct 11–17 | 2 | 2 | 343 |
| Oct 18–24 | 2 | 1 | 426 |
| Oct 25–31 | 0 | 0 | 297 |
| Nov 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 278 |
| Nov 8–14 | 1 | 1 | 210 |
| Nov 15–21 | 0 | 0 | 121 |
| Nov 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
| Nov 29 – Dec 5 | 0 | 0 | 118 |
| Dec 6–12 | 0 | 0 | 60 |
| Dec 13–19 | 0 | 0 | 224 |
| Dec 20–26 | 0 | 0 | 187 |
| Dec 27 – Jan 2 | 0 | 0 | 208 |
Reported as an adult
No adult season shown here. The weeks are still too uncertain to show a season.
Reported as a caterpillar
No records here are marked as caterpillars yet, so there is no caterpillar season to show. One needs at least 20 records from 5 different years.
In Ohio
Late June to early November, middle week Sep 20–26
Records per week from 1,326 records in 10 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Shows when people recorded it, not how common it is. The grey bars show how many records of all species were made here each week, so you can see when recording itself was high or low; the season is not adjusted by them.
Recorded on 624 dates. Latest record: October 2025.
Show as a table
| Week | Records of Painted Lady | Years recorded | Records of all species |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 4–10 | 0 | 0 | 6,211 |
| Jan 11–17 | 0 | 0 | 5,146 |
| Jan 18–24 | 0 | 0 | 4,645 |
| Jan 25–31 | 0 | 0 | 4,698 |
| Feb 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 6,023 |
| Feb 8–14 | 0 | 0 | 5,888 |
| Feb 15–21 | 0 | 0 | 5,436 |
| Feb 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 6,846 |
| Mar 1–7 | 0 | 0 | 8,321 |
| Mar 8–14 | 1 | 1 | 10,384 |
| Mar 15–21 | 0 | 0 | 12,620 |
| Mar 22–28 | 0 | 0 | 13,949 |
| Mar 29 – Apr 4 | 0 | 0 | 19,661 |
| Apr 5–11 | 0 | 0 | 26,860 |
| Apr 12–18 | 2 | 2 | 39,925 |
| Apr 19–25 | 7 | 4 | 41,623 |
| Apr 26 – May 2 | 1 | 1 | 56,391 |
| May 3–9 | 3 | 3 | 52,952 |
| May 10–16 | 8 | 5 | 53,785 |
| May 17–23 | 8 | 6 | 57,698 |
| May 24–30 | 8 | 7 | 54,651 |
| May 31 – Jun 6 | 12 | 5 | 53,099 |
| Jun 7–13 | 6 | 4 | 53,700 |
| Jun 14–20 | 7 | 5 | 56,625 |
| Jun 21–27 | 7 | 4 | 55,361 |
| Jun 28 – Jul 4 | 7 | 4 | 58,477 |
| Jul 5–11 | 20 | 6 | 61,336 |
| Jul 12–18 | 25 | 8 | 64,722 |
| Jul 19–25 | 24 | 5 | 69,753 |
| Jul 26 – Aug 1 | 27 | 8 | 59,416 |
| Aug 2–8 | 25 | 7 | 59,712 |
| Aug 9–15 | 30 | 8 | 55,994 |
| Aug 16–22 | 58 | 9 | 54,328 |
| Aug 23–29 | 70 | 9 | 51,772 |
| Aug 30 – Sep 5 | 118 | 8 | 57,167 |
| Sep 6–12 | 98 | 8 | 59,075 |
| Sep 13–19 | 84 | 8 | 54,543 |
| Sep 20–26 | 72 | 8 | 45,860 |
| Sep 27 – Oct 3 | 100 | 9 | 43,180 |
| Oct 4–10 | 144 | 8 | 37,841 |
| Oct 11–17 | 103 | 8 | 30,824 |
| Oct 18–24 | 94 | 9 | 21,156 |
| Oct 25–31 | 71 | 8 | 19,021 |
| Nov 1–7 | 50 | 9 | 14,172 |
| Nov 8–14 | 30 | 7 | 12,621 |
| Nov 15–21 | 3 | 3 | 7,965 |
| Nov 22–28 | 2 | 1 | 8,136 |
| Nov 29 – Dec 5 | 1 | 1 | 6,083 |
| Dec 6–12 | 0 | 0 | 6,004 |
| Dec 13–19 | 0 | 0 | 5,423 |
| Dec 20–26 | 0 | 0 | 5,661 |
| Dec 27 – Jan 2 | 0 | 0 | 8,459 |
Reported as an adult
Usually reported as an adult late June to early November, middle week Sep 20–26.
From 1,314 records that are marked as adults. Not every photo is marked with a life stage, so this shows when people reported it as an adult, not when adults are about.
Reported as a caterpillar
Only 9 records here are marked as caterpillars, too few to show a caterpillar season. One needs at least 20 records from 5 different years.
What these results show
These results show when people recorded a species, not when or where it occurs. Missing weeks and low counts do not mean absence or scarcity, and counts are not abundance. Contributed records reflect where, when and what people chose to observe.
Identification
How to identify it
Often confused with
- American Lady Vanessa virginiensisOften confused in Ohio: 40 identifications in Ohio named one where the other was meant
- Red Admiral Vanessa atalantaOften confused in Ohio: 14 identifications in Ohio named one where the other was meant
- Monarch Danaus (Danaus) plexippus201 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
- Hackberry Emperor Asterocampa celtis64 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
- Pearl Crescent Phyciodes tharos44 identifications worldwide named one where the other was meant
From iNaturalist’s similar-species counts, refreshed monthly: confusions in Ohio first, then worldwide. Only species with an Ohio result are listed.
Months not reported
- Jan: no record
- Feb: no record
- Mar: recorded
- Apr: recorded
- May: recorded
- Jun: recorded
- Jul: recorded
- Aug: recorded
- Sep: recorded
- Oct: recorded
- Nov: recorded
- Dec: recorded
Not reported in Ohio in January to February, 2016 to 2025.
Land cover where it is recorded
| Land cover | Its recordsAll Ohio records |
|---|---|
| Developed | 72%49% |
| Farmland | 17%11% |
| Forest | 5%31% |
| Barren | 2%0.6% |
| Wetland | 2%5% |
| Grassland and shrub | 1%0.9% |
| Open water | 0.8%3% |
From 725 records placed within 100 m, beside all Ohio records placed the same way. People record where they go, so this shows where records come from, not where the species lives. Land cover: USGS Annual NLCD, 2025 (opens in a new tab)
Sources
Where these results come from
- Records from iNaturalist research-grade observations and expert-identified GBIF datasets, CC0, CC BY and CC BY-NC. Sources
- Seasons use the published method and its evidence thresholds. Methods
- See it on iNaturalist (opens in a new tab)OpenPhenology is independent and not affiliated with iNaturalist.
Records behind the Ohio result
1,326 records from 2 datasets.
- iNaturalist Research-grade Observations (opens in a new tab) · iNaturalist.org · 1,317 recordsiNaturalist contributors, iNaturalist (2026). iNaturalist Research-grade Observations. iNaturalist.org. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/ab3s5x accessed via GBIF.org on 2026-11-13.
- iNaturalist observations (opens in a new tab) · iNaturalist.org · 9 recordsiNaturalist. Available from https://www.inaturalist.org. Accessed 2026-11-13
To cite: the GBIF download doi:10.15468/dl.y2jkt8 (opens in a new tab).
A spreadsheet (CSV) with a link to each record, on iNaturalist or GBIF. Records whose location was hidden by the observer or the source are counted but not linked.