Have you, perhaps, felt incredibly special in the past few days because an ethereal, lovely orange-and-black butterfly happened to land on or near you? Did you imagine that good luck was coming your way? Well, feel slightly less special, pal: The odds are in your favor this year. As Gothamist explains, there are as many as ten times the normal amount of Red Admiral butterflies in the area right now, and they’ve flown our way nearly a month earlier than their usual migration pattern would predict. According to the Daily News (not the one you’re thinking of), that’s probably not a good thing. “Scientists call this an irruption, a sudden upsurge in numbers that often occurs when natural ecological factors are disturbed.” Oh. But look at the upside! Climate patterns might be irrevocably screwed and nature thrown off its game, but think of how many more charmingly twee pictures of butterflies landing on New York City landmarks will fill Instagram in the next few weeks!
