Two very similar looking butterflies that are best distinguished by the number of eyespots on their undersides. Painted Lady has four small eyespots while American Lady has two large eyespots.

Both these butterflies are migratory with populations fluctuate in my area from year to year. Some years there are none at all while in other years a few may be seen. American Lady seems to be most likely to show up here year after year; I usually see one or two every year, usually just an accidental sighting in my backyard garden, while this year my sightings of Painted Lady were my first in years. Both species have been fairly common this year relative to previous years, but neither are common.