California Sees worst Butterfly Season in 35 years Butterfly Season in 35 years

[Paul Cherubini]

In early May this year in various newspaper articles 
Dr. Art Shapiro of Davis, California said Cabbage White butterflies 
were among the butterflies that were very scarce due to the
prolonged rainy spring weather in the Sacramento Valley.

Well now look at how abundant Cabbage butterflies are in
Davis: http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k75/4af/cabb.jpg

And back in 1999, Shapiro was worried about the crash in 
the Orange Sulfur population in the Sacramento Valley: 
http://tinyurl.com/njly6

Specificially, Shapiro wrote: "Some of the species that crashed 
are typically among the most common," said Shapiro, including 
orange sulphurs, a vibrant yellow, medium-sized butterfly
that usually swarms over the Sacramento Valley's abundant 
alfalfa fields.  "In all candor, I don't understand this," said 
Shapiro,  "Many more species are down than up. If this 
were the stock market, investors would be worried."

Well now look at how abundant Orange Sulfurs are
in Davis:
http://i85.photobucket.com/albums/k75/4af/osulf.jpg

Paul Cherubini
El Dorado, Calif.

 
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