More on monarch tagging

Ron Gatrelle rgatrelle at home.com
Tue Oct 10 11:47:32 EDT 2000


To all interested parties.

    We have met the enemy and it is us. Several years ago (actually probably
a couple decades) there was an article in either the Lepidopterists News or
its Journal entitled, "Are We Studying Our Butterflies To Death." I don't
remember who wrote it, but it was someone in Claifornia. The article was
about how some research team or Fed/St wildlife entity had conducted a
catch, tag, release project on one of the endangered subspecies of an
Euphilotes blue. (These are the tiny little blues less than a quarter inch
in expanse.) The problem the author had is that these little insects are so
small it is virtually impossible to Tag or mark one without doing major
damage to it. Damage that would either severely limit its normal functions
due to broken legs or antennae, and thus greatly shorten its adult life. He
was also concerned about trampeling of immatures and hoslt plants in the
samll habitat area.
    Now I am well aware that monarchs have very tough thoratic segnents. But
I have never found anything as tough as a little  their legs and antenn


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