Permanent Marker?

[charmingmonarchs]

I have read that you can use a permanent marker to tag the butterflies and then record your information in a log book. Does anyone know of or have any experience with this? Will Monarch Watch acknowledge butterflies that are tagged in this manner?

[Keith Petrosky]

I think when they are catching them they will only look for there own tags. If marker is safe, you could put a tag on one wing, and the marker on the other wing.

[charmingmonarchs]

Well, I was thinking of marking in lieu of the tags. I'm trying to come up with a less expensive way of tagging.

[Jim]

I have read that you can use a permanent marker to tag the butterflies and then record your information in a log book. Does anyone know of or have any experience with this? Will Monarch Watch acknowledge butterflies that are tagged in this manner?

Using a permanent marker is NOT an acceptable way to tag monarchs during the fall migration for long distance mark and recapture. However, many lepidopterists use this method to mark individuals so that they can be recognized again in a local reproductive population. You can imagine many studies in which one would need/want this sort of identification with a simple number and/or symbol, but again, such markings are simply not appropriate for the large-scale mark and recapture study Monarch Watch conducts. Monarch Watch will not dedicate any resources to collecting or reporting any data from such markings so please do not employ this method during the monarch migration.

The preprinted self adhesive tags manufactured for Monarch Watch each year are specifically designed for monarch tagging and are the only means of contributing data to Monarch Watch's Tagging Program. Tagging Kits with 25-500 tags (item #121239) are available from $15 via the Monarch Watch Shop at

http://shop.monarchwatch.org/category.a ... gging_kits

or 1-800-780-9986 (M-F 8:00 - 8:00 ET).

If you have any other questions about this please feel free to drop us a line anytime - thanks!

[charmingmonarchs]

Thank you for the information.

[Teresa]

I wouldn't think the ink in permanent markers would be good for them.

[charmingmonarchs]

I'm not sure. I wondered that, too. Then again, I wonder if the glue in the stickers is harmful to them. ?

[Teresa]

It was my understanding that this glue was made special for them, nontoxic and weather resistent.