Miniaturization is one thing, but how would you like to design a transmitter that attaches to a butterfly? That’s what the BlūMorpho transmitter is made to do, according to [Tom Jokinen] writing for Be Giant. Apparently, most of these butterflies have a two- to six-week life, but periodically a “super generation” spawns and lives up to nine months. This is enough time to migrate from Canada and the United States to Mexico. In Mexico, they spend the winter, and then return when the weather is more hospitable. Scientists wanted to study this migration pattern, and the tiny transmitter is exactly what they needed.

You can even download an app to track the butterflies yourself. The transmitter looks like a tadpole and weighs 60 milligrams. There’s no battery, but there is a tiny solar cell. The transmitter emits a Bluetooth signal that your phone’s location services can relay.

To affix the transmitter, researchers put a glassine envelope over the butterfly, weigh its wings down with something slightly heavy, and then apply eyelash glue to the transmitter. You can see the process in the video below.

What else could you do with a virtually weightless Bluetooth tracker? It is possible that dedicated tracking stations could have a longer range.

Continue reading “Tiny Transmitters Track Monarch Butterflies” →