Each year starting around the last week of August and lasting through the first week of October, hundreds and thousands of Monarch butterflies begin their annual migration from the United States down to the same place in Mexico. All the butterflies to the east of the Rocky Mountains pass through the mid-west.
I learned about the Monarch Watch, an organization that helps track the butterflies' migration, from my daughters as they participated in some of these activities during their school years. When I heard that Pendleton's was a designated volunteer of Monarch Watch, we decided to offer our time to help with tagging this year. I have always loved working with animals and bugs, so this activity was perfect for me. My wife does not possess the same interest, so she offered to "watch" while we handled the bugs.
Karen Pendleton shared information on the type of net to use when catching the butterfly as the prevalent concern is to not hurt the butterfly. Once captured, the monarch is carefully folded and placed in an envelope so they remain calm. If Karen is expecting a large group (especially school children), she will catch as many butterflies as possible ahead of time and keep them in the refrigerator. The coolness keeps the butterflies alive during this short captivity. I strongly advise you to call Pendletons at 785.843.1409 if you would like there to be some butterflies available for you to tag. Karen will do her best.
As we gently lifted the butterflies from the envelope, we carefully separated the wings, which have a waxy feel. Each butterfly has to be assessed for gender and condition. The male butterfly has two black dots on their wings and the female has thicker black lines. Fortunately, the distinction was easy to make. See my pictures! A small oval tag was placed on the outside of the wing just over a mitten-shaped section. This tag has proven to not affect the butterflies’ ability to fly. Its central location keeps the same center of gravity as they fly. The tag has a unique number and we documented our information about the butterfly for future tracking. Afterwards, the butterfly is gently set on a flat platform and freed.
If the tagged butterfly is found, the number is used to document its final condition. The organization that tags receives a document describing the migration of the butterfly. Some never make it out of Kansas. Many butterflies are recaptured and kept in captivity for study by various school districts.
If you’re not into science and bugs, this activity would not be of interest. But I was fascinated with this opportunity and am looking forward to next year’s migration!