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(KWQC) – Scientists are tracking monarch butterflies on their epic journey from Canada to Mexico for the first time using tiny solar-powered radio tags.
The tags weigh just 60 milligrams — about three grains of rice. Researchers have tagged more than 400 monarchs this year and are following their flights on a cell phone app.
The breakthrough could provide crucial insights into butterflies.
“Technology can come in handy to really think about what is the habitat that we need to preserve. And then what I always like to add for people is that that habitat that we preserve is not just good for monarchs, but all the other species that are less charismatic and that maybe people care about less,” said Dr. Jacobus de Roode, biology professor at Emory University.
People can help scientists track the butterflies by downloading the Project Monarch app. If users are close enough to a tagged butterfly, it will pop up on the app.
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