Locating large insects using automated VHF radio telemetry with a multi-antennae array

1. We describe an automated radio telemetry system (ARTS) designed for estimating the location of 0.50g butterflies that was constructed with commercially available materials. Previously described systems were not designed to estimate fine-scale locations of large insects within approximately 200m$^2$ study areas.

2. The ARTS consists of four receiving stations. Each receiving station has four 3-element, directional Yagi antennae (separated by 60\si{\degree}) connected to an automated receiver that records detected power sequentially from each antenna. To develop and evaluate the ARTS performance, four receiving stations were installed in the corners of 4-ha and 6.25-ha square fields with varying heights of vegetative cover. The location of a 0.22g transmitter was estimated with a statistical method implementing both distance- and angle-power relationships. Calibrated model parameters were based on power detected from transmitters at known locations. Using independently collected dat...