Tiny Solar Tags Track Monarch Migration

A single monarch butterfly can now carry a device small enough to be attached with eyelash glue, a technology that is changing how scientists monitor the insect's annual journey. Cellular Tracking Technologies, a company based in Rio Grande, developed the lightweight electronic tracker and the Project Monarch app to follow the butterflies as they migrate from New Jersey to Mexico.

Bob Mullock, president of the Cape May Point Arts & Science Center, described the hardware as a very light electronic device that includes a small solar panel and a processor. He noted that this setup allows the butterfly to appear on a cell phone, enabling continuous observation of its path.

Sean Burcher of Cellular Tracking Technologies explained that the data collected focuses on speed, timing, and direction. He said researchers are analyzing how these factors relate to wind patterns and identifying specific stopover habitats used during the trek. Burcher stated that understanding these movement patterns is vital for learning how to better protect the species.

The initiative operates as a keystone program at the Cape May Point Arts & Science Center, where a team of volunteers supports the effort. Mullock acknowledged that these individuals give of themselves to make the projects happen. The public can also participate by using the Project Monarch app to follow the butterflies' migration in real time.

Monarch butterflies serve as pollinators that feed on nectar and support wildflowers and other pollinators. Burcher emphasized that what benefits monarchs also benefits many other pollinator species, which are important to the environment. The current decline in the monarch population has driven the development of this tracking system to provide new insights for conservation.