Tracking a tagged monarch butterfly used to rely on pure luck. Someone along the migration route had to find a tiny sticker on the insect and report it. Today, new technology removes the guesswork entirely.

Nature NB partnered with the Saint John Naturalist Club, Point Lepreau Bird Observatory and Environment and Climate Change Canada to deploy Bluetooth enabled tags on monarchs for the first time in New Brunswick. According to a recent report by CBC News, this initiative brings real time tracking to the Maritimes.

How the Technology Works

The new BluMorpho tags are solar powered and weigh just 0.066 grams. This is a small fraction of a monarch butterfly’s half gram body weight. Researchers attach the tags to the butterfly thorax using a dab of eyelash glue. A small antenna runs along the length of the abdomen.

Unlike traditional wing tags that require physical recapture, BluMorpho tags use passive Bluetooth interactions. When you walk within 100 metres of a tagged monarch with Bluetooth enabled on your phone, your device automatically logs a data point.

“The old method was simply to put a numbered wing tag on and hope somebody would find it or see it and report it between here and Mexico,” Jim Wilson, a birder and naturalist with the Point Lepreau Bird Observatory, told CBC News. “This is now online, you can go on there and find out where that monarch is.”

Track Butterflies on Your Phone

You can participate in this conservation effort directly from your smartphone. You just need to download the free Project Monarch app.

“Download the Project Monarch app, scan for these tags and follow along on the journey of these monarchs,” said Francie Morgan, program coordinator with Nature NB.

Early Migration Discoveries

The data already provides new insights into monarch migration routes through New Brunswick. Point Lepreau juts into the Bay of Fundy and has long been suspected as a key stopover point before the butterflies continue toward Grand Manan. The new tags confirm this pattern.

“We have already had three that have left there with the BluMorpho tags and ended up on Grand Manan,” Morgan said.

Strong westerly winds also produced unexpected results this season. Three tagged monarchs ended up in Nova Scotia instead of continuing south. This gives researchers concrete information about how wind conditions influence migration decisions.

Protecting Natural Corridors

Tracking individual migration routes helps conservationists identify the natural corridors monarchs rely on most. This includes mountain ranges, river valleys and coastlines.

“All monarchs need in their long trip to Mexico is the ability to find blooming plants from which they get nectar,” Wilson said. “If we know how and where they go over time, those roads can be preserved and hopefully enhanced.”

Nature NB expects to deploy 22 tags by the end of the season. Border delays held up a portion of the supply, but the active tags are already generating valuable data. Tags deployed in New Brunswick begin with the prefix PLBO for Point Lepreau Bird Observatory.

Frequently Asked Questions

What app do I need to track the butterflies?

You need to download the free Project Monarch app on your smartphone. Ensure your Bluetooth is turned on to log data points when you are near a tagged butterfly.

Do the Bluetooth tags harm the monarchs?

No. The solar powered tags weigh only 0.066 grams, which is a tiny fraction of the butterfly’s weight. Researchers safely attach them using a small amount of eyelash glue.

Where are the butterflies being tagged?

In New Brunswick, researchers tag the monarchs at the Point Lepreau Bird Observatory. You can identify these specific butterflies by the prefix PLBO on their tags.