It’s taken more than a decade, but scientists have cracked the case of these colorful insects found thousands of miles away from home. Painted lady butterflies (Vanessa cardui, shown resting on a bush ...

Do Painted Lady Butterflies Migrate? When you think of butterfly migration, it’s probably monarch butterflies that first spring to mind. But monarchs aren’t the only butterflies that travel long ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about biodiversity and the hidden quirks of the natural world. The painted lady butterfly—or Vanessa cardui—is a traveler ...