Releasing Monarchs

[Bob Greback]

> Is using a migratory species (or any species) "safe" as an example for 
activities 
similar to that for  Hans's release, i.e. would a newcomer to butterflies take 

it as standard practice, think it's a good idea and apply it wholesale to 
any species including species occurring in fragmented metapopulations?<

I was not suggesting this as a justification as a butterfly release standard 
across the lepidotpera, although I don't see the practicality of worrying 
about it.  How many of us have the time money or finesse to find a confined, 
fractured (you pick the term) population and then rear a population, release 
it into the natural  confined population for numerous consecutive generations 
just to see if we might effect a change. And who amongst us has the time, 
energy, knowledge, or money to accurately measure this change and consequently 
prove causation.  The list of variables against proving the introduced 
population caused any change would be staggering. And to what purpose?  A 
newcomer to Lepidoptery could not.

> I still feel the time and effort would be far better spent if directed 
towards habitat conservation<

Conservation is the key! 

  
Bob Greback