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I found this butterfly in the rocky mountains of colorado. Its obviously a lepidoptera but I'm not sure what family this butterfly could be. I found it perched on a bush and it is around 40ish mm long. Thank you very much for any answers, making an amature insect collection :3

Edit: I was thinking its a Riodinidae, but It doesnt quite look like it.

abc1234
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  • Not an answer, but couldn't you have taken a picture instead of its life? For all you know, it might be endangered. Or not. But it had a life, and you ended that. – anongoodnurse Sep 27 '17 at 01:45
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    Sorry, I'm collecting an insect collection so I kind of had to kill it, and theres many of these around here so i'm pretty sure it is not endangered. But thanks for the concern – abc1234 Sep 27 '17 at 02:04
  • You're very gracious, so thanks for that. Is the insect collection for a school project? I carry a small camera everywhere. It is actually (for me) better to capture a live butterfly in an artful manner than to look at a dead one, but that's me, and I love photography. – anongoodnurse Sep 27 '17 at 14:24

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Its obviously a lepidoptera but I'm not sure what family this butterfly could be.

This is a "Painted Lady" butterfly, which belongs to the family Nymphalidae, and the species Vanessa cardui.

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The following is a distribution map of the butterfly within the US, and then Colorado specifically.

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An interactive version of this map can be found here.


Following its annual spring migration the painted lady may be found anywhere in the state. However, it is primarily a species of fields and open areas. They are also common visitors to flowers in yards and gardens. The painted lady is one species that many school children have encountered as rearing one of these is now almost a rite of passage in elementary school classes. It is also the butterfly species commonly used for release at weddings and other celebratory events. source

This in mind, the painted lady is in no risk of being endangered.

  • You're quite welcome. You mentioned that you're starting a collection.. I recommend you read this brief article, given that you're still learning the process of collecting & preserving. –  Sep 27 '17 at 02:18
  • Thank you. It was enlightning, and I can see I did some things incorrectly in catching these – abc1234 Sep 28 '17 at 00:02