Monthly Program

The study of insect migration and movement is currently being revolutionized by electronic tagging. The migration of the Monarch Butterfly in the western US is at the center of this revolution, and our understanding of this phenomenon has grown by leaps and bounds this fall. I will report on the WSU-WingsRising electronic tagging of PNW butterflies during August-September 2026, with a glimpse at preliminary results. Our research is entirely funded by Citizen Scientists who can see their support produce data in real time on their cell phones. Learn how you can be part of this unique research in 2027!

David developed a passion for entomology at the age of 8 in England by rearing caterpillars in his bedroom. He obtained his undergraduate degree in Zoology at the University of Salford in the UK, then migrated to Australia for a PhD and to work for the New South Wales Department of Agriculture in Sydney researching agricultural pests and their management using non-chemical methods like biological control, pheromones and habitat restoration.  A 50-year career as a biocontrol, IPM, pollinator and conservation biology scientist in Australia and the Pacific Northwest, followed. David has published almost 300 peer-reviewed scientific papers and extension articles and has authored a number of books on butterflies and moths, including his most recent “The Lives of Butterflies” and the “Life Histories of Cascadia Butterflies” which David Attenborough called “Magisterial”.