Butterflies may be among the most beloved of all creatures, routinely deified in art and verse, but they are in alarming decline in the United States with populations plummeting by a fifth in just the past two decades, according to the most comprehensive study yet of their fortunes. The abundance of butterflies in the US […]
Tag: monarch butterflies
Monarch butterflies to be added to threatened species list in the US
The US Fish and Wildlife Service announced a decision on Tuesday to extend federal protections to monarch butterflies after years of warnings from environmentalists that populations are shrinking and the beloved pollinator may not survive the climate crisis. Officials plans to add the butterfly to the threatened species list by the end of next year […]
Mexico’s avocado industry harms monarch butterflies, but will U.S. officials act? (commentary)
Monarch butterflies are returning to gardens across the United States, but a few months ago, I stood in a mountain forest in Mexico where the monarchs spend the winter. They clustered on trees by the thousands and when the sun hit them, they swarmed in a cloud of bright orange confetti. I was surrounded by […]