Overview
- Officials in Michoacán confirmed that monarch MW026 reached the Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve on November 9 after a roughly 43‑day, 2,200‑kilometer journey from Lawrence, Kansas.
- The butterfly’s route was logged through Oklahoma and Texas, with its first Mexico signal in Tamaulipas near El Cielo, followed by detections in San Luis Potosí, Guanajuato, Querétaro and the State of Mexico.
- The 60‑milligram, solar‑powered BlüMorpho transmitters developed by Cellular Tracking Technologies use Bluetooth/2.4 GHz signals detected by Motus towers and the Project Monarch smartphone app at up to about 400 meters.
- Approximately 430 devices were attached in September to healthy butterflies using droplets of eyelash glue, with units costing about $175 each and subjects carefully screened for weight and wing condition.
- Sanctuary managers report millions of monarchs forming three established colonies and a fourth in Ocampo, expect around eight hectares to be occupied, plan public openings on November 21–22, and continue habitat restoration while flagging pesticide risks along the migration corridor.