Anyone with a cellphone can help track monarch butterflies tagged in New Brunswick

Anyone with a cellphone can play a role in tracking monarch butterflies tagged in New Brunswick, thanks to new Bluetooth technology.

Earlier this month, Nature New Brunswick and the Point Lepreau Bird Observatory attached tiny Bluetooth tracking tags to 22 monarchs.

The solar-powered tags emit signals that can be picked up by any Bluetooth-enabled cellphones within 100 metres.

The location of the insect is then automatically posted on the Project Monarch map, helping researchers track the monarch’s annual migration to their overwintering grounds in Mexico.

Traditional tracking methods involve attaching visual tags to monarchs and recapturing them along their migration to record their location.

Now, researchers can see a monarch’s location more frequently, which helps fill in gaps along their lengthy journey south.