If you think you need protection from ultraviolet rays, consider the plight of the painted lady butterflies.

Hilldale Middle School eighth-grader Adrien Rutherford did, and it earned her a $150 cash award and a trip to the International Science Fair this May in Atlanta. She took best in show, junior division, at the Muskogee Regional Science Fair on Wednesday with her display on the effects of ultraviolet rays on painted lady butterflies.

Ashley Weeks took best in show, senior division, with her display on how phases of the moon affect plant growth. Weeks also wins a $150 cash award and a trip to the International Science Fair.

The Rutherford and Weeks entries were among 308 entries in the science fair, held Tuesday and Wednesday at Muskogee Civic Center. They also were among 30 students, plus three teams, to advance to the State Science Fair in Ada.

As Rutherford went to her display after Wednesday’s awards ceremony, a friend talked on her cell phone: “Hey Mrs. Rutherford, Adrien’s going to internationals.”

The friend then told Rutherford, “Your mom said to give you a big kiss for her in front of everybody.”

Rutherford wore a gray hoodie decorated with butterflies to the ceremony.

“I love butterflies, and that’s why I got the idea to do it,” she said.

The eighth-grader said she divided butterfly chrysallises that she ordered from a kit into three groups. She shined an ultraviolet light on one group for 24 hours and another group for 48 hours. The third group didn’t get any ultraviolet light.

She said she expected the rays to affect the butterflies, still, the results surprised her. Some of the insects that got 48-hour exposure had withered wings.

Rutherford said the results showed her that human skin also could be harmed by ultraviolet rays.

Ashley Weeks started her science fair project almost as soon as school started last year. That way, she could follow her plants through three months of moon phases: September, October and November.

She said she wanted to test the notion found in the Farmers’ Almanac that moon phases affect plant growth.

“The Almanac said the full moon or new moon affects growth,” she said. “But I found out the opposite, that the first quarter and last quarter of the moon affects plant growth.”