Each year, Georgians see monarch butterflies as they make their way south to Mexico for the winter. But more and more butterflies aren't surviving the trip.
The USGS wants to test if butterflies and other insects are being hurt by contaminants, such as those in pesticides. It's seeking specimens from Alabama, Georgia, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas.
When you see a dead butterfly, put it an envelope, stamp it and stick it in the mail. Scientists want to see if certain contaminants are present in butterflies, and may be why so many of the insects are in steep population decline.
Monarch butterflies with more white spots on their mostly orange-and-black wings are more successful at long-distance migration. Some scientists think the spots may affect airflow around their wings.
Butterflies likely split from nocturnal moths around 100 million years ago in present-day western North America or Central America, a new study of the winged insects finds.
Rosalynn Carter turns 95 Thursday, and her birthday is being marked with butterflies. A friend says the wife of former President Jimmy Carter has a fascination with butterflies dating back to her childhood in Plains, Georgia. That interest led to the formation of the Rosalynn Carter Butterfly Trail, which was established after the former first lady grew concerned about the future of butterflies.
