ALBANY, N.Y. - A late-blooming monarch butterfly will be flying to San Antonio today -- but not on its own wings.

The butterfly will be getting a ride on a Southwest Airlines flight from Albany, New York.

The colorful insect was spotted by Maraleen Manos-Jones -- A-K-A the "Butterfly Lady."

She says the monarch butterfly was slow to develop and emerged after its swarm mates headed south.

Manos-Jones says Southwest quickly agreed to take them both to San Antonio. She was also able to cut through red tape to get a U.S. Department of Agriculture permit, to transport a butterfly across the state lines.