The Baccharis in Elyria Canyon Park is still buzzing with activity.
Location: Elyria Canyon Park, Mount Washington, Los Angeles, CA
October 6, 2012
There were at least four individual Painted Ladies, Vanessa cardui, nectaring on the Baccharis this morning at about 9:30. Though most of them were wary and kept their distance, this diminutive beauty, the smallest of them all, posed just a few feet from the camera. This photo nicely illustrates the white bar on the forewing that is a distinguishing feature.
Though the closed wing shot is of a different individual, we are confident that all the Ladies we observed today were Painted Ladies and not the similar looking West Coast Ladies or American Ladies. The spots on the underwings of this individual are identifying features of the Painted Lady.
A lone Gulf Fritillary was also observed on the Baccharis as was a large Mexican Cactus Fly, a member of the Flower Fly family Syrphidae, and countless Honey Bees which were furiously gathering nectar.
