Small lemon-yellow, yellow-green and reddish-orange butterflies are appearing in unusually high numbers, possibly due to Yucatan’s rainy spell.
We are witnessing a once-yearly migration that is not always noticeable, according to Mariposas Evenus, a Merida company that breeds and exhibits butterflies.
Numerous species of butterflies could be observed in different parts of the state and even in Merida, where butterfly sightings are increasingly rare as green spaces disappear and air pollution rises. In the countryside, they appear in larger clusters.
The unexpected visitors brought cheer to a region struggling with quarantine and illness. Some cynical observers on social media suggested the butterflies were murder hornets in disguise.
But no, they’re really butterflies.
Most commonly spotted are the yellow and green species that feed on vegetation that proliferated from recent rain.
The green butterfly is called the Anteos maerula and the yellow is the Anteos clorinde.
Both feed on bougainvillea and other flowers that are common in Yucatan gardens.
These butterflies inhabit neotropical regions from Mexico to South America. Unlike that of the famed Monarch butterfly, the migration route of these species is unknown, Mariposas Evenus reported on social media.
