CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A video shows a swarm of butterflies surrounding vehicles crossing Corpus Christi Bay earlier this month.
Read more JetBlue flight reports striking drone on approach to JFK Airport: FAA
What we know:
The video posted by Nikki Ikonomopoulos on June 17 shows black specks fluttering against the backdrop of a blue sky.
Ikonomopoulos called the insects “snout-nosed” butterflies, likely referring to the American snout butterfly.
According to Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, these butterflies with black-brown wings with white and orange markings, get their name from their long mouth.
Read more Man charged with intoxication manslaughter after deadly Houston crash
What they’re saying:
They have a long history of darkening skies in Texas during their irregular migrations, according to Texas Parks & Wildlife.
“In 1921, an estimated 75 million butterflies per hour passed through South Texas in a particularly large wave that stretched for nearly 250 miles,” Ben Hutchins wrote in an article for the department’s magazine in 2017.
Dig deeper:
These butterflies dine on hackberry leaves as caterpillars. As adults they enjoy nectar from flowers such aster, dogwood and goldenrod.
Read more How to stay cool and save on energy as heat dome brings triple-digit temperatures to millions