The northeastern population of the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) is facing steady declines. As part of the monarch research team in the Norris Lab at the University of Guelph, we spent the day collecting adult monarch butterflies for captive breeding. Eggs obtained in this process will be used for studies examining the effect of the neonicotinoid pesticide clothianidin on their development and behaviour. The photo here is of one of the breeding female monarchs caught in North Perth, Ontario during the summer 2017 field season.
