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Danaid Butterfly Migration Study in South China and Butterfly Marking Experience Activities

In 2011, Fung Yuen Butterfly Reserve from Environmental Association found a Chestnut Butterfly (Parantica sita) that flew from Japan to Hong Kong during our study on overwintering Danaid butterflies. We believe that Hong Kong is only one of the stopover point for overwintering danaid butterflies, and the actual migration route of them in Hong Kong and other South China region is still a mystery.

Since July 2011, Fung Yuen Butterfly Reserve has marked a number of different species of danaid butterflies, most of which are

the blue spotted crow(Euploea midamus), Blue Tiger (Tirumala limniace).

We will mark a code on the butterfly's left and right hindwings, such as "HKF001", representing the location code (HKF, Hong Kong Fung Yuen) and the assigned serial number of that butterfly(001).

Report to us

Dear butterfly lovers, if you find a marked danaid butterfly outside the Fung Yuen Butterfly Reserve, please write down the code on their wing, together with the date, time and place of the discovery (photo record is preferable), and email it to info@fungyuen.org or submit the online report form: https://forms.gle/tjuTRzQ1bVYB7i6Y7.

Studying the migration routes of danaid butterflies is an important key to butterfly conservation. It can allow us to proposed an effective long-term butterfly conservation measures and policies, so that our next generation can also see the beautiful and spectacular Butterfly Valley in winter.

**Note: All butterfly marking activities must be done by trained and licensed personnel. Please do not capture any butterflies by your own.

1. Netting Monarch Butterfly

2. Take out the monarch butterfly

3. Check the gender and the degree of wing damage

4. Tag the monarch butterfly

5. Measure forewing length

6. Fill out the record sheet

7. Repatriation of monarchs and recapture

All butterfly marking activities are done by trained and licensed personnel. Please do not capture any butterflies by your own.

To begin the butterfly marking study, we will capture the butterflies in permitted location. Information of each danaid butterfly such as species name, sex, wingspan etc will be recorded, then we will write a code in the left hindwing of the butterfly. The code will include the marking date, marking location, and the assigned serial number of each individual butterfly. The butterfly will be released to the wild right after the marking, and their flight route will be find whoever spotted and reported them in other places.

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