Last year, surprisingly large numbers of painted ladies migrated through Northern California -- this year, few have shown up
"Wild fluctuations in California's winter and spring weather have hurt fragile butterfly populations, causing numbers to fall to the lowest in more than three decades and increasing the concerns of scientists about long-term declines linked to climate change and habitat loss."
Read article:
San Francisco Chronicle - Where have all the butterflies gone?
Art Shapiro's Butterfly Site