Spring has arrived. We can be certain by the appearance of two petite predictors, both named azures

Grand surprise is the less-known name of the mourning cloak, (also called a white petticoat), a butterfly that recently emerged from its winter hideaway.

Hey ladies. Though it sounds like it could be a catcall on a city street, this greeting is of a more rural (or even floral) variety. It is actually a beckoning to butterflies.

While seeing a handful of butterflies is quite common, observations of masses of them do happen and are clearly memorable.

The red spotted purple is one of two varieties of brush-footed butterflies that have the scientific name Limenitis arthemis.

Though we are already into October, David’s September sighting of a great spangled fritillary is definitely newsworthy.

Plant milkweed. If you care about the plight of the beloved monarch butterfly, try this simple act of kindness. Plant milkweed.

Being dramatic is warranted in the case of monarch butterflies whose numbers have plummeted over the last few years.

Beyond the monarchs and the milkweed a broad discussion has been unfolding on the Vineyard in recent months and weeks about the use of herbicides.

The Gazette presents a local film clip on monarch butterflies as ecologists around the country raise a cry over the fate of the monarchs, whose numbers have fallen off perilously in the last few years.