The butterfly family containing the painted lady, red admiral, and peacock butterflies is Nymphalidae.
Nymphalidae is one of the largest butterfly families, with thousands of species worldwide. Its members include brush-footed butterflies such as admirals, tortoiseshells, fritillaries, anglewings, and emperors. The family also contains well-known species with very different appearances and habits.
Adult nymphalids characteristically have reduced forelegs that are held against the body. They still have six legs anatomically, but the front pair is small and not used for ordinary walking. This feature explains the family’s common name, brush-footed butterflies.
Classification within Nymphalidae has changed as genetic and anatomical research has improved. Subfamilies and tribes are frequently revised, but the family-level placement of the painted lady, red admiral, and peacock butterfly is well established. These species are not all close relatives at the same smaller taxonomic rank, yet they belong to the same broad family.