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.

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

It is differentiated by its smaller size, rarely exceeding 2 inches (5 cm) across its wings, and the blue colouration at the centre of the four eyespots on its hindwings.

The pupa is brown with darker markings, and four pairs of metallic silver or gold dots.

[9] The Australian painted lady belongs to the family Nymphalidae and genus Vanessa, which compromises 22 species, which are strongly migratory.

This demonstrates the phenotypic plasticity, or the tendency for visible traits to vary with changing environmental conditions, of the painted lady butterflies.

It is uncommon to find this butterfly in Queensland, and it is completely absent from the far north of the country, in the tropical rainforests.

The pupa hangs vertically from the underside of the leaf of a food plant, and the duration of the pupal stage is about two weeks.

However, it also feeds on several introduced species, including capeweed (Arctotheca calendula), Scotch thistle (Onopordum acanthium), and lavender (Lavandula angustifolia).

[9] Eggs have being recorded on Arctotis, Chrysanthemum (family Asteraceae) and Scotch thistle (Cirsium vulgare), but the resulting larvae do not survive past the first instar on these plants.

[10] The Australian painted lady's mating system evolved due to a highly dispersed female population.

[6] To defend a territory, the male exhibits perching behaviour starting in the mid- to late afternoon until dusk.

[13] The Australian painted lady migrates south in the spring and summer, and north in the autumn and winter.

When larvae were exposed to short days and cool temperatures (20 °C), similar to conditions found in the spring, larval development was accelerated.

Seasonal changes could trigger the development of spring and fall body forms that are ideal for the migration patterns described above.

[17] Fragmented habitats due to urbanization, as well as disturbances to the environment from humans and introduced species, are harmful to most butterflies.

Distribution of butterflies depends heavily on the site characteristics and the density of that species' host plants.

Because of the variety of host plants used by Australian painted ladies, it has not been significantly affected by these changes.

[7] It has been found to use some species of carduine thistles, which are invasive to Australia, as host plants in New South Wales.