Natural History Wanderings

SF Gate

An unusual wave of butterflies delighted residents in the Santa Cruz mountains in May. Now, a second tide of the orange-and-brown insects has emerged hundreds of miles away in the Sierra Nevada and near Lassen Volcanic National Park.

Regional biologists this week reported the insects, known as California tortoiseshells (Nymphalis californica), are swarming around Lassen Volcanic National Park, with smaller numbers fluttering around the Lake Tahoe area.

Read more at ‘Massive migratory flight of millions’: Rare butterfly swarm visits Tahoe, Lassen