We Can Now Track Individual Monarch Butterflies. It’s a Revelation.
“Scientists used tiny new sensors to follow the insects on journeys that take thousands of miles to their winter colonies in Mexico.”
“For the first time, scientists are tracking the migration of monarch butterflies across much of North America, actively monitoring individual insects on journeys from as far away as Ontario all the way to their overwintering colonies in central Mexico.”
“This long-sought achievement could provide crucial insights into the poorly understood life cycles of hundreds of species of butterflies, bees and other flying insects at a time when many are in steep decline.”
“The breakthrough is the result of a tiny solar-powered radio tag that weighs just 60 milligrams and sells for $200. Researchers have tagged more than 400 monarchs this year and are now following their journeys on a cellphone app created by the New Jersey-based company that makes the tags, Cellular Tracking Technologies.”
“Tracking the world’s most famous insect migration may also have a big social impact, with monarch lovers able to follow the progress of individual butterflies on the free app, called Project Monarch Science. Many of the butterflies are flying over cities and suburbs where pollinator gardens are increasingly popular. Some tracks could even lead to the discovery of new winter hideaways.”
“A crucial engineering feat led to the tracking breakthrough. Earlier this year, Cellular Tracking Technologies modified its butterfly tag, which it calls BlūMorpho, in a way that allows its signals to be automatically detected by billions of Bluetooth-enabled devices, as long as a tagged butterfly passes within about 300 feet.”