Does it hurt monarchs to touch their wings?

Gentle handling of monarchs to test for OE or tag, for example, 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 it's wings. For instructions on OE sampling, visit Project Monarch Health's website. For instructions on monarch tagging, visit Monarch Watch's website.