Radio-tagged Monarch butterflies
Researchers are using lightweight Bluetooth radio tags to track the migratory patterns of Monarch butterflies across North America. The technology allows scientists to monitor individual butterflies as they travel thousands of miles to wintering grounds in Mexico.
Why it matters
Advanced tracking technology provides critical data for conservation efforts and understanding the impact of climate events on migratory species.
Who knew a Monarch butterfly could borrow a cell phone to check in with friendly people he met on his journey?
That is essentially what happens now that new technology has reduced the weight of a radio-pulse tag to less than half a gram. Those tags use Bluetooth technology to send information back to the researchers in the U.S. and Canada, including Jennifer Weber, Ph.D. '25, and Shawn Kurtzman from the Conservation Management Institute , to collect far more data than has ever been available about the paths and speed of Monarch butterflies as they migrate from a vast range in continent’s temperate areas to nature preserves in Mexico and Central America.
International calls are welcome, as some of the butterflies tagged in Virginia are now in Mexico.
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