English: Painted Lady butterfly (Vanessa cardui). The Painted Lady, also known as the thistle butterfly, may be the most widespread butterfly in the world and millions of them were recorded arriving in Britain over this year's (2009) May bank holiday, after a 1000 mile migration from North Africa. The butterflies originate from the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, where heavy winter rains allowed good germination of the caterpillar food-plants. A Spanish researcher, Constanti Stefanescu, had reported seeing hundreds of thousands emerging in mid February and beginning their long flight north. They were seen in large numbers in Spain during April and a few weeks later in France. http://www.butterfly-conservation.org/sightings/1097/painted_lady_butterfly.html. For a wider view of this location see > 1411229. For a view of this butterfly with its wings closed see > 1411288.