Monarchs@Malvern

By now you surely have become aware of the new Mastersizer 3000, Malvern’s latest diffraction instrument for particle sizing. You may have also noticed the orange butterfly sailing through announcements, website and brochure? Well, it’s a Monarch (Danaus plexippus), a relatively large, North American butterfly with black stripes on orange wings, and a few white dots. The species is well-known (even to non-lepidopterists) for its long-range migration routes ranging from Canada to Mexico. Amazingly, the roundtrip takes several generations – and just how their GPS works is still under investigation.

You can find Monarchs near our main office in Westborough, Massachusetts, in the summer only. Our central office in Houston, Texas, is in the path of both the north migration (in early spring) and the south migration (in fall). Here in California, the best time to see them is in winter, when they hibernate in suitable groves along the coast. Fortunately, our instruments tend to stay at one place and not follow any regular migration patterns so that you can see them year-round without worrying about the best season…

Come visit us and take a look!