Monday, June 2, 2008

June 2 , 2008


For many years, NBNC has participated in a Monarch Butterfly tagging program, placing little stickers with "serial numbers" on the wings of the Mexico-bound butterflies. Last year we allowed the public to join us in this project, and it appears our efforts have paid off. For the first time, a monarch tagged at the Nature Center was recovered in Mexico!

The butterfly was tagged on September 12th, 2007 (our first public-tagging day) with the "serial number" of JNH 286. The butterfly, a male captured from the wild, was recovered in Cerro Pelon, Mexico by Melquieles Moreno, on March 6th, 2008. Having flown over 2,000 miles to reach his overwintering site, it is truly an extraordinary feat that this migration occurs, and that we have been able to track this individual butterfly. Thanks to those who helped with the tagging effort last year!

On another lepidopteral note, a Nessus Sphinx moth, which is a type of hummingbird moth, visited the Lilac bushes during lunch today. Photo by Larry Clarfeld

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