Here are some variances of two butterflies that look a lot alike. Both American Ladies and Painted Ladies are found throughout North America. Both species are salmon colored with black splotches on the top wings. The main difference are prominent markings of the hind wings, the Painted Ladies have four small eyespots, while the American Ladies have two large eyespots. Also the American Ladies have a small white dot on each side of the forewing. Another variation is that the preferred host plant for the Painted Lady are thistles, while the American Lady host plant are assorted asters.