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New designation for Monarchs :(

rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)

last year

last modified: last year

The monarch butterfly fluttered a step closer to extinction Thursday, as scientists put the iconic orange-and-black insect on the endangered list because of its fast dwindling numbers.......

https://apnews.com/article/science-north-america-insects-butterflies-climate-and-environment-c5e406e2f01c731167393296c19c302b

Featured Answer

sah67 (zone 5b - NY)

2 months ago

Other recent studies suggest that home rearing of Monarch caterpillars by hobbyists/enthusiasts is causing more significant population decline (by spreading disease) than habitat loss alone:

https://e360.yale.edu/features/monarch-butterflies-milkweed-home-breeders

Comments (10)

cecily 7A
last year
It frustrates me that the US Fish and Wildlife Service has NOT listed the monarch as endangered.
roxanna
last year
Personal excitement here in Central Massachusetts -- saw my first-in-a-long-time Monarch two days ago, flitting among my flowers!! Can't remember the last time I saw one here -- it's been at least 10 years. Also have tiger and black swallowtails this year, altho certainly not in the numbers of long ago. Even the early small blue butterflies are not as numerous lately. That's very depressing.
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I would love to get old county road maps and find a route from Mexico to Maine that follows only less-traveled paths. Mark those roads on the map, and publish it throughout the US. Then encourage folk who live along that route to plant milkweed along the road and in their yards to provide a direct path from the overwintering site to the far Northeast. In time, we could find branches off the initial route that could be planted to guide the Monarchs to other spots that will be rehabilitated. Any stretches that are farmed or developed would be areas for established organizations like Monarch Watch to concentrate their resources. I know the Monarchs might not follow human paths, but it would give us humans a tangible route to focus on. Anyone have any suggestions for the route? We could even have a few options for around large cities, etc. Maybe I can spread the idea soon enough that planting along the route could get started this spring. Martha
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Awesome, I have been wishing for them to make some pollinator or butterfly stamps for years. The last ones they had that I really liked were the reptiles and amphibians, which a saved several sheets of. I will probably stock up on the pollinator stamps once they are issued. It looks they will only be available for a short time. Please post a reminder on here if you can, I would hate to miss out on this.
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Tiffy, I sure do hope you get lots of butterflies, including Monarchs, this year! I know last year was not very good for our Northern members due to really cold spells occurring. Let's pray that doesn't happen again - no do-overs! Sherry, some years are bountiful for me with the GFs, and some years I don't see as many either. Last year was a bonus year for them here, but I don't think Sandy saw many, if any at all in the Tulsa area. There's probably only about 100 miles between us, but apparently they just didn't show up in the numbers they normally do. I am really very happy, in fact, overjoyed, that we are seeing the Monarch numbers reflected in the JN report. Who would have guessed? Now, where were they all hiding in Mexico? Susan
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Mary and Laura, great to hear you are raising and releasing monarchs for the great migration. I just released my last monarch in Minnesota this week and am giving people raising tips in "Amazing Raise 1"...even if you weren't signed up, fee free to share how many monarchs you are releasing for the migration on the link page below. Laura, I think the high percentage of cardenolides in the goose plant may kill some of the smaller monarch caterpillars. I'm not sure if a higher percentage of this chemical also helps to protect them more from predators? Can a predator sense the monarchs' poison content without taking a sampling? Anyhow, most of our monarchs have headed south so be on the lookout for some Minnesota Monarchs! Tony Here is a link that might be useful: Raising HOPE for the Monarch Migration
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in_the weeds
last year
last modified: last year
"The group estimates that the population of monarch butterflies in North America has declined between 22% and 72% over 10 years, depending on the measurement method."

That's a pretty big difference.🤔
mxk3 z5b_MI
last year
My understanding is it's the migratory monarchs that was put on the endangered, not the non-migratory. But still not good news...

Monarch butterflies move a step closer to extinction : NPR
rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a) thanked mxk3 z5b_MI
rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)
Original Author
last year
"Farmers' Battle Against, and Now For, Milkweed"

https://modernfarmer.com/2022/08/farmers-milkweed-monarch-butterflies/
rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)
Original Author
3 months ago
https://globalnews.ca/news/10186774/monarch-butterfly-endangered-bumblebee/
rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)
Original Author
2 months ago
And not unexpectedly the decline continues...

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240208-the-case-of-the-missing-monarchs-the-one-thing-humans-can-do-to-save-the-butterflies
rouge21_gw (CDN Z5b/6a)
Original Author
2 months ago
Interesting @sah67 (zone 5b - NY) but it is frustrating/disconcerting as many hobbyists/enthusiasts have very good intentions and one feels that this is all we can do i.e. make our gardens attractive to these wonderful creatures.
cecily 7A
2 months ago
Thank you for the continued updates. In my area I've seen a marked decrease in all butterflies and moths over the past couple of years. I'm wondering whether aerial spraying for spotted lantern flies is affecting other insects.

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