Butterflies Blamed for Accidents, Attacks

Police issued a warning Monday for residents to avoid contact with swarms of butterflies that have wreaked havoc on the Crescenta Valley and are suspected in a series of vicious attacks in California and Arizona.

The insects were positively identified by lepidopterist Seymour Wing of Descanso Gardens. “Yes, those are butterflies,” Wing told the Valley Sun in an exclusive interview.

A gang of the butterflies was blamed in a car crash Wednesday at the intersection of La Crescenta Avenue and Verdugo Road. “I was just driving along, going up to Montrose to get some coffee, when all of a sudden my windshield was covered with butterflies,” said Dwayne Duwain, whose 1992 Honda Civic crossed into opposing lanes and struck a 2005 Hummer H2. “I couldn’t see. I panicked. There were so many of them. The wings! The antenna! It was too much,” Duwain told the Valley Sun before breaking down into tears.

Police investigators were originally suspicious of Duwain’s claim, but found butterfly wing residue on the windshield and bumper of Duwain’s car.

The Hummer driver confirmed Duwain’s version. “I thought it was some sort of giant fuzzy dice, except it was orange,” said terrified La Cañada Flintridge resident Mitzy Merlot. “It was coming toward me and I couldn’t stop in time. Then after it slammed into me, the orange part flew away and I realized it was a bunch of butterflies. The government should really do something about this.”

Duwain’s car sustained major damage in the crash, and Merlo’s Hummer suffered a small dent in the bumper.

Thursday morning, the butterflies had taken on more sinister actions, enveloping a woman who was walking her dog in Deukmejian Park. Park rangers who witnessed the attack said a swarm of thousands of butterflies flew over the crest of the hill and surround the woman, who was later transported by paramedics to Verdugo Hills Hospital for injuries sustained in the attack. She declined to give her name but rangers told the Valley Sun her dog began barking when the butterflies removed a dog biscuit from the woman’s hand. The barking seemed to anger the butterflies, who closed in on the woman, forcing her, screaming, to the ground.

“I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Glendale Parks Ranger John Dho. “We’re always telling people to be careful with nature, but this is ridiculous.”

Arizona police have identified one swarm of butterflies as a notorious gang called “The Painted Ladies.”

Police confirmed the swarms are suspected in various criminal investigations and face charges ranging from misdemeanor assault and battery to felony kidnapping and false imprisonment.

“They come through here every five years or so,” said Glendale Police Lt. Major Minor. “But we’ve never seen these numbers or these behaviors. Something strange is going on.”

Wing concurred. “There are a lot of butterflies,” Wing said during an interview at Descanso Gardens. “However, I do not believe these stories of attacks. I think people simply do not understand that swarming is natural butterfly behavior. If people would only-”

Wing was carried away by a swarm of butterflies before he could tell the Valley Sun what people should do to protect themselves from the insects.

His whereabouts were unknown at press time. Police are investigating the incident.

Glendale police and sheriff’s deputies continue to investigate other incidents that may be related to the butterflies, including one in which a woman collapsed while trying to protect her prized rhododendrons from the butterflies.

Anyone with information about the butterflies is encouraged to call the butterfly tip line at (818) 277-4536 (APR-ILFOOL).

- Katherine Gould, Jennifer Berry, Katrina P. Ten, Nandini Bhattacharya, Gloria Saldana, Dan Jordan, Ralph Saenz and Lisa Stanners contributed to this report.