We Can Now Track Individual Monarch Butterflies

Some images in the article show butterflies and others show somebody handling a set of the BlūMorpho tags (each of which includes a long antenna) but the tags are never shown individually or separated from their packaging so that you can see how large they really are. And they aren't shown attached to any butterflies. The article mentions that tags are attached to the butterflies using "eyelash adhesive" but many readers may not be aware that most eyelash adhesive products are cyanoacrylate glue aka CA glue aka "super glue".

Searching on the name of the tag product (BlūMorpho) turned up images of the tags superglued onto various living things, including butterflies and hummingbirds. The NYT article calls the sensors "tiny" but, imho, that's an exaggeration. With the antenna, the overall length is about the same as my pinky finger and, relative to the animals onto which they're being glued, they don't seem anything like "tiny" but rather more like little weighted backpacks with long dangly bits.

It's hard for me to believe that these don't impose significant burdens (in terms of the metabolic costs from the weight and possibly changed aerodynamics as well as in possibly higher risks of predation [and general increased chances of fatal mishap due to the protruding tag and antenna bumping into things or getting snagged]) on the small creatures to which they're being attached.

A question and answer on the manufacturer's FAQ page (https://celltracktech.com/pages/frequently-asked-questions) indicates that some users attach these tags to hummingbirds using glue whereas others glue the tags to removable harnesses that they fit onto hummingbirds but I couldn't find anything about how to remove glued-on tags from hummingbirds (which have lifespans of ~3-5 years) without harming the animals.