Does it hurt monarchs to touch their wings?

When testing for OE or tagging, gentle handling of monarchs is relatively harmless. Some wing scales are removed with handling, so it is important to minimize the amount you handle a butterfly to reduce the risk of damaging the wings. To hold a monarch butterfly safely, use your thumb and forefinger to firmly grasp all four of its wings. For instructions on OE sampling, visit Project Monarch Health's website. For instructions on monarch tagging, visit Monarch Watch's website. Note that Canada, California, and Washington have special regulations that may restrict monarch handling.