Federal protection for monarch butterflies could help or harm

By William E. Snyder, University of Georgia and Michael Crossley, University of Delaware Monarch butterflies are among the most beloved insects in North America. They are brightly colored and unique, both as caterpillars and later as mature insects. Monarchs are found in every U.S. state except Alaska, so nearly everyone has seen a monarch flutter by on a warm day. During their incredible yearly migration, monarchs travel each fall to a few forested areas in central Mexico and coastal California to overwinter. These are special places, cool enough that butterflies don’t burn too much energy, but warm enough that they don’t freeze. At the sites, huge clusters of butterflies drape the trees in one of nature’s most photogenic spectacles. Because monarch butterflies are widely distributed and recognized, their conservation status often is oversimplified. Over the past 40 years, the number of monarchs overwintering in Mexico has declined by as much as 80%, and the number of monarchs overwintering in California has fallen by over 95%, probably due to multiple causes. In response, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service is proposing to protect monarchs as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. The agency is soliciting public comments on this...