tagging experiment

[Paul Cherubini]

> Cris Guppy & Aud Fischer wrote:

> It was my uncle, Richard Guppy (deceased 1980), who
> reported the tagged Monarch in Victoria. He had no part 
> in the release of the eastern Monarchs at Gibsons, but 
> in anycase that long ago no one had any concerns with
> transferring butterflies. Knowledge has advanced somewhat
> since then.

Some new insights our transfer studies have provided are as
follows: (results are posted at 
http://www.butterflyboutique.net/ibba_test ) and click on the
link for "Monarch Migration Study"

1. The Rocky Mountains are not a "barrier" to monarch
movement. Monarchs of California origin released in western
Colorado, down in a valley at 5500 feet  crossed the 10000-14000
foot Rocky Mountains to the east and southeast (were recaptured in
Kansas and at the Texas/New Mexico border. One butterfly was even
recaptured by a hunter almost on top of the continental divide at
9000 feet elevation in the San Juan mountains of western Colorado.

2. The natal origin of monarchs does not noticeably influence
the directions the butterflies fly in the fall or determine their
overwintering destinations. For example, some of the California
Monarchs released east of the continental divide in Albuquerque,
New Mexico, on the same day (Sept. 30) were recaptured at the
overwintering sites in BOTH California and central Mexico.
And two monarchs of Iowa origin that were released in western
Colorado were recaptured at overwintering sites along the
central California coast.

3. Wide range of dispersion. Monarchs of both California
and Iowa origin were recaptured in a wide range of directions
to the west and southwest, and east and southeast, regardless
of whether they were released east or west of the continental
divide. Tagging studies in other areas of the USA and in 
Ontario, Canada in the late summer have revealed a similar 
wide dispersion pattern.

4. Monarchs in-bred for seven generations and reared at a constant
75-80 degrees in an indoor laboratory setting (but exposed to 
natural light from the rearing room windows) by a commercial &
educational monarch breeder (Jacob Groth of Swallowtail Farms 
http://members.aol.com/swtf/ ) still emerged in a physiological 
state of reproductive diapause in the fall and migrated to
overwintering sites both in California and central Mexico.

This findings may ease some of the serious concerns
expressed by Jeff Glassberg, Paul Opler, Bob Pyle,
Robert Robbins and Lep Society President Jim Tuttle.
These butterfly experts wrote the following which is currently
posted at http://www.naba.org/weddings.html

"Now imagine tens of thousands of mixed-up Monarchs
unable to find the way to their overwintering grounds.
This depressing image may become a reality if the
rapidly-growing fad of releasing butterflies, including
Monarch butterflies, at weddings, state fairs, and other
public events continues to spread. Because the
released Monarchs may have come from California, for
instance, where they do not migrate to Mexico, their
offspring may not be able to orient properly,. Because
the Monarchs were raised inside under unnatural conditions,
it is possible that their delicate migratory physiology may
not have been turned on."