Amid The Snow, A Butterfly Migration

April 15, 2005

 
    Thousands—perhaps millions—of Painted Lady butterflies are moving through the Mammoth high country in spite of one of the biggest winters in recent history.

    Paul McFarland, executive director of the Friends of the Inyo, said today that the butterflies have been spotted for weeks, some as high as along the crest of the Inyo Mountains. The butterflies also have been seen in Mammoth, which is cleaning up after near record snows have left 549 inches on Mammoth Mountain.

    On the ski hill, skiers have seen the butterflies even as they ride chairlifts to the top of the 11,052-foot mountain.

    McFarland theorized that the butterflies are heading north to the sagelands of the Great Basin.

    Painted Lady butterfiles are among the most ubiquitous types of butterflies in the world.

    They are found all over the North American continent, ranging north into the sub-arctic and south to Panama. Painted Ladies are also found in Asia, Africa, and Europe. They especially like living near flowery meadows and mountaintops.

    These butterflies migrate from south to north in the late spring. In cold climates, you can see Painted Ladies between March and October. In some southern deserts, they live all year round.

    The Painted Lady butterfly has four wings—two hindwings and two forewings—that are symmetrical in pattern and shape. The upper surface of Painted Lady Butterfly wings is mostly black, brown, and orange. There are also some white spots and red and blue markings. The underside of the wings are gray, with white and red markings. Butterflies have three pair of legs — each divided into five parts.

    At the end of the legs are tiny spurs that help them land and stay on plants or perches.