Scientists seek public help to keep track of butterflies across Hong Kong and southern China
- Researchers know relatively little about the insects’ migratory patterns and want the public to report sightings to give them a better idea
- The team from the University of Hong Kong says the project will help protect butterfly habitats and give a clearer picture of the impact of climate change
Scientists in Hong Kong have been catching butterflies and putting stickers that say “report me!” on their wings as part of a project to get a better understanding of their seasonal movements across the city and southern China.
The team from the Global Change and Tropical Conservation Lab at the University of Hong Kong hopes that by collecting public reports on butterfly sightings they will be able to better protect the insects and gain a clearer understanding of their migratory habits.
Researchers involved in the project say that at present they do not understand the insects’ movement patterns, but ensuring that the habitats along their migratory routes can continue to support them is vital to ensuring their survival.
The team has been tagging butterflies using small stickers with an individualised code and a link to the reporting website since December 2021. Between October and December last year, the researchers marked nearly 2,200 butterflies.
The scientists say the small stickers do not impede the insects’ ability to fly because they are not as fragile as they appear, but they said members of the public should not try to catch butterflies themselves.
Instead they want people to visit the website to report when and where a butterfly was spotted – dead or alive – so that they can determine the direction, distance and speed of their seasonal movements.