The Xerces Society has just published a PDF titled, “Conservation Status and Ecology of the Monarch Butterfly in the United States.” It’s conclusion is that the Eastern Monarch is “vulnerable to extinction,”at least in the United States.
Click here for the full report.
This is a 25 page report which has lots of interesting information about the Monarchs and says that we need to restore from 1.5 to 8 million acres of habitat.
The main culprits are use of herbicides on GMO crops, loss of habitat in Mexico, climate change and storms, the OE parasite, and pesticide use.
It doesn’t look good for the Monarch as it is being attacked on multiple fronts. I was happy to see the population double last year.
Butterfly Gardening 