The painted lady undertakes the longest known butterfly migration, travelling from sub-Saharan Africa to the UK across multiple generations, facing welfare challenges throughout the journey.
Individual painted ladies migrating northward face predation, weather and food availability challenges throughout thousands of miles of travel. The welfare of individual butterflies during migration is challenged by pesticide exposure in agricultural landscapes, climate-altered vegetation availability and increased collision risk near roads. Climate change is shifting migration phenology, potentially creating mismatches between butterfly arrival and food plant availability.