butterfly

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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...

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,...

Butterfly Center Targeted by QAnon Partially Reopens

But Texas sanctuary is members-only for now

(Newser) - A butterfly center in Texas has partially reopened, more than a month after it said it was temporarily shutting down because of threats from QAnon conspiracy theorists. The National Butterfly Center in the border community of Mission said in a tweet this week that it reopened for members only on...

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,...

6M Monarchs Died —in a Single Month

Winter storms blamed for losses in Mexico

(Newser) - More than six million monarch butterflies were killed in a single month in Mexico, showing an increasing need "to protect breeding, feeding, and migratory habitat," says a rep for the World Wildlife Fund. Experts who count the butterflies that migrate from the US and Canada to Mexico each...

Tiny Blue Butterfly Flutters Back From Brink

Karner blue population now 'robust' in some areas, near-extinct in others

(Newser) - More than 20 years of habitat restoration and breeding programs have helped the endangered Karner blue butterfly make a comeback in the pine barrens of upstate New York where it was discovered by Russian author Vladimir Nabokov decades ago. "This project has been unbelievably rewarding," said Neil Gifford,...

Government Spending Millions to Save This Butterfly

Monarch population has dropped by 970M in just 2 decades

(Newser) - Just two decades ago, there were about a billion monarch butterflies ; today, there are only some 30 million of the creatures that Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota calls "the most iconic butterfly in North America." The trouble starts when the butterflies are caterpillars whose only food is milkweed,...

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...

Butterflies Return to Mexico
 Butterflies Return to Mexico 
Feb 14, 2011 6:30 PM CST

Butterflies Return to Mexico

Population doubles last year's devastated numbers

(Newser) - Monarch butterflies are back in Mexico this year, after an alarming 75% drop in their numbers last year. A survey released today found that butterfly colonies encompassed 9.9 acres—a significant increase from the 4.7 acres that alarmed experts last year, reports the AP. The figures are "...

Phelps Beats Rival, Returns Suit Taunt

(Newser) - Michael Phelps beat Milorad Cavic again, and this time there was no doubt about it. With a defiant performance in a supposedly inferior suit, Phelps became the first swimmer to break 50 seconds in the 100-meter butterfly, beating the Serbian with a time of 49.82. Cavic also broke 50...

Bare-Chested Phelps Rebounds With Record

(Newser) - Michael Phelps today rebounded from yesterday's stunning loss by shattering his own world record in the 200-meter butterfly at the FINA World Championships in Rome, ABC News reports. Phelps achieved the feat without a full-body suit, wearing only an ankle-to-waist version. In his loss yesterday, he lost to a swimmer...

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