Australian painted lady

Australian painted lady
	Victoria, Australia
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Lepidoptera
Family:	Nymphalidae
Genus:	Vanessa
Species:	V. kershawi
Binomial name
	Vanessa kershawi; (McCoy, 1868)
Synonyms
	Cynthia kershawi McCoy, 1868 ; Vanessa cardui kershawi ;

The Australian painted lady (Vanessa kershawi) is a species of butterfly mostly confined to Australia,^[1] although westerly winds have dispersed it to islands east of Australia, including New Zealand.^[2] Debate surrounds the taxonomy of this species. Some believe that the Australian painted lady should be a subspecies of the painted lady (Vanessa cardui) due to the similarity in lifestyle and behaviour. Furthermore, the painted lady is found around the globe, but Australia is the only location in which it varies enough to be considered a separate species.^[3]

However, due to the distinct genitalia of the males, and variation in colouration, many others consider the Australian painted lady to be a separate species.^[3]^[4] During spring, adult butterflies migrate south in large numbers from northern states of Queensland and New South Wales.^[5] To find mates, male Australian painted ladies exhibit territorial behaviour, which involves a male perching on vegetation in a sunny spot on a hilltop, waiting for females to fly by.^[6]

Despite urbanization and invasive plants altering its habitat, populations of Australian painted ladies have not been significantly impacted by these changes.^[7]

^ Cite error: The named reference Ecuador, 1992 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference Gibbs 1969 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ ^a ^b Cite error: The named reference vanSon was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference Otaki2007 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference Dingle 1999 323–329 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference Alcock and Gwynne, 1988 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Williams, M.R. (2010). "Habitat resources, remnant vegetation condition and area determine distribution patterns and abundance of butterflies and day-flying moths in a fragmented urban landscape, south-west Western Australia". Journal of Insect Conservation. 15 (1–2): 37–54. doi:10.1007/s10841-010-9307-1. ISSN 1572-9753. S2CID 23442783.

[Ecuador,_1992-1] Cite error: The named reference Ecuador, 1992 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Gibbs_1969-2] Cite error: The named reference Gibbs 1969 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[vanSon-3] Cite error: The named reference vanSon was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Otaki2007-4] Cite error: The named reference Otaki2007 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Dingle_1999_323–329-5] Cite error: The named reference Dingle 1999 323–329 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Alcock_and_Gwynne,_1988-6] Cite error: The named reference Alcock and Gwynne, 1988 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Ref-1-7] Williams, M.R. (2010). "Habitat resources, remnant vegetation condition and area determine distribution patterns and abundance of butterflies and day-flying moths in a fragmented urban landscape, south-west Western Australia". Journal of Insect Conservation. 15 (1–2): 37–54. doi:10.1007/s10841-010-9307-1. ISSN 1572-9753. S2CID 23442783.

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