The aptly named painted lady butterfly wears brush strokes and splatters of color on her wings. The top sides of her wings are oriole colors: orange with black blotches and white spots. Underneath, her wing color is a beautiful combination of pink, brown, olive, black and white.
Painted ladies are a medium size butterfly at just 2 inches across and are smaller than some other brush-footed butterflies like the well-known monarchs. But just like monarchs, the painted lady has a fascinating life history.