More butterflies in the air? You be the judge

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If you’ve noticed a burst of butterflies like this one in the air this spring, it may be because of a migration of Painted Lady butterflies now underway, says the OC Register’s self-proclaimed Science Dude Gary Robbins.

A series of moist years have propelled the butterflies from Mexico and the U.S. Southwest north to Southern California, the Science Dude writes. There have been scattered sightings in the past few weeks in Orange County.

The Painted Lady above was spotted by a Times photographer in Upland a few years ago.

Have you seen any? You can identify them by their 2-inch wingspans and their striking orange, black and white markings.

--Tony Barboza

Photo By Irfan Khan