U.S. officials decided to extend protections to monarch butterflies after warnings from environmentalists that populations are shrinking and the beloved pollinator may not survive climate change.
The monarch butterfly is widely recognized and widely dispersed across North America and it's in trouble. Federal officials decide soon whether it gets protection under the Endangered Species Act.
Each year, Georgians see monarch butterflies as they make their way south to Mexico for the winter. But more and more butterflies aren't surviving the trip.
Though monarchs have been migrating thousands of miles south during the winter for centuries, and the majority still do, more monarchs are staying in the southern U.S. during the winter as it gets warmer. That’s a problem.
The USGS wants to test if butterflies and other insects are being hurt by contaminants, such as those in pesticides. It's seeking specimens from Alabama, Georgia, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas.
Monarch butterflies with more white spots on their mostly orange-and-black wings are more successful at long-distance migration. Some scientists think the spots may affect airflow around their wings.
Past research on monarch butterflies suggested their populations are declining because of diminishing winter colonies. But a new study finds it may be more complicated.
The population of monarch butterflies that migrated south to Mexico to hibernate fell 26% in 2020 compared with the previous year, according to a new report.
