LAWTON, Okla. – Fifteen monarch butterflies that recently passed through Oklahoma are helping scientists learn more about one of nature’s most remarkable migrations, with one butterfly traveling more than 1,000 kilometers in just two weeks.
The Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge recently participated in a research project using solar-powered radio tags to track monarch butterflies as they migrate south toward Mexico for the winter.
About two weeks ago, refuge staff captured 30 monarch butterflies with support from several organizations, including the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Ecological Services, Monarch Watch and the Oklahoma City Zoo and Botanical Garden.
Of those 30 butterflies, 15 were selected to receive tiny solar-powered BluMorpho radio tags…