‘I’m afraid’: Texas butterfly sanctuary forced to close after far-right threats

…This week, the butterfly center was forced to close its doors indefinitely amid ongoing threats from far-right conspiracists and QAnon followers who falsely claim it is a haven for human-trafficking and illegal migration…

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/feb/06/texas-butterfly-sanctuary-far-right-threats

Butterflies aren’t expendable. Our brittle reality depends on them, too. - The Washington Post

The National Butterfly Center in Mission, Tex., encompasses 100 acres of subtropical bushlands along the banks of the Rio Grande. It’s a refuge for more than 200 species of pollinating butterflies, as well as thousands of other species — flowers, birds, mammals and countless other insects. https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/butterflies-arent-expendable-our-brittle-reality-depends-on-them-too/2019/03/01/b70862a2-3b65-11e9-a06c-3ec8ed509d15_story.html

Meet the butterflies from 200 million years ago - BBC News

Scientists found fossilised butterfly scales the size of a speck of dust inside ancient rock from Germany. The find pushes back the date for the origins of the Lepidoptera, one of the most prized and studied insect groups.....
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-42636275