Reiman Gardens launches butterfly longevity study

Reiman Gardens at Iowa State University has recently launched a new butterfly longevity study. Over the next year, the Entomology staff at Reiman Gardens will tag butterflies in the Christina Reiman Butterfly Wing with a yellow sticker on its right hind wing with a unique alpha code. This code will help staff track how long the butterflies live and how often they are seen in the Wing by visitors.

To conduct and process the data from this study, the Entomology staff at Reiman Gardens collaborated with students at Iowa State University in the Department of Computer Science, specifically in the senior design 402 class, to develop an application with a public interface and data management component.

Visitors to the Butterfly Wing can assist with this study by recording their observations during their visits, which will contribute valuable data to research efforts. Accessing the data entry application can be done by scanning the QR code conveniently located in the entry vestibule or within the Wing. For a step-by-step guide on how to participate, you can view a short video on the Reiman Gardens YouTube page at this link.  

Join Reiman Gardens in unraveling the mysteries of butterfly longevity and behavior! Your involvement is instrumental in advancing the understanding of these magnificent creatures.