A rare butterfly was recently spotted at the National Butterfly Center in Mission.
A neotropical Emerald Aguna was observed and photographed by Luciano Guerra, the education and outreach coordinator for the center. According to a news release, this is the third time the butterfly has been spotted at the center and only the fourth time in the Rio Grande Valley.
“Even more remarkable is the fact that Luciano has found this butterfly (presumably two different individuals) TWICE this month!” the release read. “His experience proves our motto, ‘You never know what you‘ll see at the NBC,’ true again.”
According to the release, nearly half of the 700 different species of North American butterflies can be found in the Valley.
The Emerald Aguna is typically found from Venezuela to Mexico. It was first spotted in the Valley in 2004, then again in 2015.
The National Butterfly Center is hosting its annual open house event for the Texas Butterfly Festival from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
The event is free, and offers an opportunity to explore the nature center.
A full calendar of events can be found at www.TexasButterflyFestival.com.
For more information about the National Butterfly Center, visit www.nationalbutterflycenter.org, or call (956) 583-4300.