How to Tag a Butterfly

Contact an organization with a butterfly tagging program that can supply you with tags. Normal stickers and labels may injure the butterflies and may not be weather resistant. Organizations have researched what types of tags are safe and should be able to supply you with tags.

Find an area where there is an abundance of butterflies. This will increase the chances of you catching one. If you try to catch a butterfly already in flight, you have less chance of being successful. When the butterfly is feeding or resting, approach it slowly.

Stretch your net out over the butterfly and scoop it downwards so the butterfly does not fly out. Twist the handle of the net so the butterfly is caught in the lower portion of the netting. The butterfly should fold both of its wings together.

Gently press the tips of the butterfly's wings together from outside of the net. Reach inside of the net and, very carefully, use your index and thumb to grasp the butterfly's thorax. Remove the butterfly from the net.

Place the adhesive butterfly tag to the lower middle portion of one of the butterfly's wings. The tag should be on the outside of the wing. If you are tagging a monarch, the tag should cover the mitten-shaped discal cell. Once the tag is in place, release the butterfly. Record the tag you used for future reference and include the date, time and place that the butterfly was tagged.