The Afrotropical breeding grounds of the Palearctic-African migratory painted lady butterflies (Vanessa cardui)

Apr 10, 2023Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

Breeding areas in Africa of the migratory painted lady butterflies that travel between Europe and Africa

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Abstract

Field observations of the painted lady butterfly were nearly always predicted with high probability by previous .

  • The painted lady butterfly migrates between Europe and Africa, but its wintering grounds remain largely unknown.
  • Ecological niche modeling was used to predict suitable breeding areas in subhumid regions near the tropics from November to February.
  • Extensive field surveys and two-year monitoring were conducted in six countries to validate these predictions.
  • New breeding locations and year-round phenological data were documented during the study.
  • The precipitation seasonality regime was found to influence migratory phenology in the butterfly.

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Key numbers

99.18 ± 0.29%
High Probability of Breeding
Average probability of confirmed breeding at suitable pixels.
2,755 caterpillars and 1,198 adults
Caterpillar and Adult Counts
Total counts documented across monitored breeding sites.

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