Paws Down! The migratory monarch butterfly is now on the ICUN Red List and considered endangered.
August 13, 2022
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (ICUN) has a Red List of Threatened Species, and on July 21, 2022, the migratory monarch butterfly is now considered endangered. However, only the migratory monarch butterfly is on the list. Not the non-migratory monarch butterfly, according to ICUN’s recent press release. The migratory monarch butterfly makes a miraculous journey across the United States. That totals up to 3,000 miles every year. They migrate because they cannot survive in North America’s cold climates. So, they migrate south to California and Mexico for the winter. Around the end of March, they lay their eggs, and the next generations of monarchs migrate back to North America for the warmer months. According to the U.S. Forest Service, the first generations are the butterflies that lay their eggs in Mexico. Then it will take three to four more successful generations to make it to the northern United States and Canada. The migratory monarch butterflies take several different flight paths in multiple directions. They also lay their eggs in many areas across the United States. In their astonishing travels, migrating leaves room for things to go wrong.
Several factors contribute to the endangerment of migratory monarch butterflies. Climate change brings extreme heat and cold. Which in turn, limits the growth of milkweed. The monarch caterpillars depend on milkweed as their sole food source. Another factor is the use of pesticides and herbicides. It kills milkweed along with any monarch eggs or caterpillars on it. Deforestation, to make way for urban development and agriculture, is another contributing factor against migratory monarchs. Their breeding grounds across the United States have shrunk from between 22% and 72% in the last decade. The ICUN’s press release states, “The western population is at greatest risk of extinction, having declined by an estimated 99.9%, from as many as 10 million to 1,914 butterflies between the 1980s and 2021. The larger eastern population also shrunk by 84% from 1996 to 2014.”
Even though this is devastating news, there is still hope for these fluttering wonders! There are many ways to help conserve the migratory monarch butterfly population. Planting one of the many types of milkweed can make a huge impact. Without milkweed, there would be no monarch butterflies because it is what they use to lay their eggs on, and it is the only food source monarch caterpillars consume. Planting a variety of flowers is another way to keep the monarchs out of extinction. When they mature into butterflies, they rely on the nectar from the flowers as their food source. A Monarch Waystation is a helpful way to do this, as it includes annual, biennial, or perennial plants that provide nectar. Ensuring monarchs have a constant nectar source throughout their breeding season until they migrate in the fall.
Interested in starting your Monarch Waystation? Follow this link.