@phreakmonkey@infosec.exchange
Post #4139372
2026-07-27 14:41 UTC
This year seems to be a rare "population surge" year for the California tortoiseshell butterfly. We saw *hundreds* of them on our hike in Carson Valley.
They would come flying through the woods in a straight line, like they were all on the way to somewhere in a hurry. I thought maybe they were migratory, but no- it turns out this is just something that particular butterfly does once every 5-10 years or so for reasons unknown. 🤯🦋
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_tortoiseshell
#SierraNevada #butterfly #insects
Replies (2)
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@albertcardona@mathstodon.xyz 2026-07-27 15:12
@phreakmonkey@infosec.exchange Does it have a parasite or predator whose population is perhaps way down at present? Or is the boom because of a temporarily favourable environment?
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@soaproot@sfba.social 2026-07-27 19:49
@phreakmonkey@infosec.exchange I believe it is an annual migration. As far as I could tell from https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/california-tortoiseshell.htm anyway. It does also seem to vary from year to year, so I guess both can be true.