butterflies

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The Butterfly Was a Rare One. Then Someone Noticed Paint

A decades-old butterfly heist at the hands of Colin Wyatt still puzzles scientists and curators

(Newser) - The tale of Australia's most audacious butterfly theft begins in 1922 in the peaks of Barrington Tops, where naturalist Johnny Hopson found a dead, yet unnamed butterfly—a find that would later become a prized specimen, as detailed in Walter Marsh's report in the Guardian . Hopson, aka...

Man Looks to Transfer His $8M Butterfly Collection

It isn't cheap caring for 4.2 million specimens, as Kenya's Steve Collins well knows

(Newser) - What began as a childhood hobby more than six decades ago has led to what might be Africa's largest butterfly collection in a suburb of Kenya's capital. Steve Collins, 74, was born and raised in western Kenya. By the age of 5, he was fascinated by butterflies and...

Feds Move to Protect Monarch Butterfly

Threatened designation could have major consequences for large landowners

(Newser) - North America's best-known butterfly is in serious trouble and needs federal protection, scientists say. The US Fish and Wildlife Service said in a news release Tuesday that it is seeking protection under the Endangered Species Act for the monarch butterfly. Monarch butterfly numbers have plummeted in recent decades. "...

Smuggling of Rare Butterflies Doesn't End Well for NY Man

Long Island man who labeled rare insects as 'wall decorations' pleads guilty

(Newser) - A Long Island man has pleaded guilty to illegally trafficking bird-wing butterflies and other rare insects, according to a plea deal filed in Brooklyn federal court. Charles Limmer, 75, of Commack, pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to smuggle wildlife into the country and agreed to pay a $30,...

Indictment: American Trafficked Rare Insects

Charges to call for Charles Limmer to turn over his collection of 1K butterflies, moths

(Newser) - Birdwing butterflies are among the rarest and largest to grace the planet, their 10-inch wingspans flapping through the rainforests of Southeast Asia and Australia. Their sheer size can make them hard to miss. The US Attorney's Office in Brooklyn says Charles Limmer took advantage of their rarity, making tens...

Monarch Butterflies Go on Global 'Red List'

Numbers have plummeted in recent decades, due in part to loss of milkweed

(Newser) - North America's migratory monarch butterfly, the beloved orange-and-black insect capable of flying 2,500 miles across the continent, is officially an endangered species in the eyes of the leading global authority. The International Union for the Conservation of Nature added migratory monarchs to its Red List of Threatened Species...

Butterfly Sanctuary Shuts Down Over QAnon Conspiracy Theory

Harassment, threats at Texas' National Butterfly Center led to sanctuary's 'difficult decision'

(Newser) - For most, the National Butterfly Center in Mission, Texas, is a gathering place for nature lovers. For a group of QAnon conspiracy theorists, it's a site rife with human trafficking—a debunked suspicion that has led to so much harassment and threats that the sanctuary has now announced it'...

The Butterfly 'Apocalypse' May Not Be Upon Us After All

After monarchs' migration numbers plummeted drastically last year, we may be seeing a 'comeback'

(Newser) - California's Pacific Grove Monarch Sanctuary didn't have a single sighting of its namesake black-and-orange butterfly last year, so no one knew what to expect for this year's migration. The pleasant surprise, per SFGate : "The butterflies are back in town." More than 13,700 of them,...

Monarch Butterfly Count Suggests Extinction Is Near

Only 2K western monarch butterflies were counted in California this winter

(Newser) - The number of western monarch butterflies wintering along the California coast has plummeted precipitously to a record low, putting the insects closer to extinction, researchers announced Tuesday. An annual winter count by the Xerces Society recorded fewer than 2,000 butterflies, a massive decline from the millions that clustered in...

Butterfly Activist's Body Found After 53 Cops Detained

Mexico gang had threatened Homero Gomez

(Newser) - The body of a renowned butterfly expert in Mexico was found in a rainwater tank Wednesday—and few people think he got in there by himself. Homero Gomez, 50, was the manager of a butterfly sanctuary in Michoacan state, which has been wracked by cartel violence, the New York Times...

Monarchs Spotted in Canada. They Should Be in Mexico

And that's bad news for the butterflies

(Newser) - Monarch butterflies should mostly be in Texas by now, winging their way to Mexico for the winter, the AP reports. But Darlene Burgess keeps seeing colorful clusters of them—and she lives in Canada. "As nice as this is to see, I really wish I wouldn't see it...

No, That's Not a Monster Storm on Radar. Instead, Butterflies

National Weather Service gets its answer in Denver

(Newser) - A lacy, cloud-like pattern drifting across a Denver-area radar screen turned out to be a 70-mile-wide wave of butterflies. Paul Schlatter of the National Weather Service says he first thought flocks of birds were making the pattern he saw on the radar Tuesday, but the cloud was headed northwest with...

Rare Butterfly Has Found Home in Unlikely Place

The frosted elfin is thriving on military bases

(Newser) - In the shadow of giant war machines, a tiny, rare butterfly is flourishing. Oddly, experts say, the US military gets the credit. The frosted elfin, which flutters along on a 1-inch wingspan, has found a home at several defense installations because of the way the military manages open spaces, says...

Woman Finds Boy Who Left $5, Sad Note

She wants to give grieving boy his money back

(Newser) - A Washington state woman has tracked down the boy who left $5 and a heartbreaking note at her door after taking one of her butterfly wind chimes—and she wants to give him his money back. "I am sorry that we stole your windchimes our mom died and liked...

Scientists Crack Monarch Butterflies' Big Secret

They're able to monitor time and the sun

(Newser) - Monarch butterflies "are not just pretty animals. They are a biological treasure trove." That's the takeaway from a new study on how the tiny insects manage to navigate thousands of miles from the US and Canada to Mexico: Eli Shlizerman of the University of Washington and his...

Monarch Origin Shocks Scientists

Study finds Monarch butterflies started out in North America

(Newser) - Monarch butterflies are famous for migrating from the US and Canada to Mexico for the winter. Now a surprising study in Nature suggests the species itself also started out in North America some 2 million years ago. A researcher from the University of Chicago says monarchs were widely thought to...

Mexico Spots Hopeful Glimmer for Dwindling Monarchs

Migrating butterflies turn up early after hitting lowest levels last year

(Newser) - Experts in Mexico said yesterday there is a tentative sign of hope for the mass migration of monarch butterflies, whose numbers dropped to their lowest level ever last year. The head of Mexico's nature reserves, Luis Fueyo, said the first butterflies have been seen entering Mexico earlier than usual...

Missing Man Survived for Month on Butterflies

Stephen Currie found 30 pounds lighter after month in Australia bush

(Newser) - Stephen Currie has a fairly delicate creature to thank in part for his survival, having been stranded for a month in the Australian bush amid 100-degree temps. Three weeks after police gave up the search for the man who went missing Dec. 29 in northern Queensland, Currie, 40, was found...

Monarch Migration in Danger of Dying Out

Gardeners urged to plant milkweed

(Newser) - A stunning phenomenon is in danger of disappearing: The annual migration of millions of monarch butterflies from Canada and the US to Mexico every year has sunk to its lowest level on record and is in grave danger of dying out, researchers warn. This winter, the hibernating butterflies coat 1....

Hirst Exhibition Killed 9K Butterflies

Animal rights groups slam British artist

(Newser) - British artist Damien Hirst, famous for his works using pickled and dismembered animals, has once again angered animal rights groups—this time for a work that used live creatures. His "In and Out of Love" exhibition at London's Tate Modern allowed visitors to observe the lives of butterflies...

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