Tag: monarch butterfly

Milkweed plants are vital for monarch butterflies and their larvae, providing nutrition to power their multi-generational migrations. Many of these plants have declined due to human development, prompting conservation organizations...

The International Union for Conservation of Nature has listed monarch butterflies as endangered due to steep declines experienced over the past decade. Monarchs (Danaus plexippus), which migrate from the United...

Concerns about monarch butterfly populations have made them contenders for Endangered Species Act protections, but a new study contradicts those fears, finding that monarchs are not in as much trouble...

Mexico saw 35% more monarch butterflies arrive to its mountain forests last winter than the previous year. Experts say the rise may be due to butterflies adapting to rising temperatures...

A parasite that kills monarch butterflies is increasing in prevalence, possibly contributing to population declines. Ophryocystis elektroscirrha, or O.E. for short, gets into the gut of monarch (Danaus plexippus) caterpillars....

Western harvest mice in California may be feeding on monarch butterflies overwintering there, providing just another reason why conserving the declining insect species may benefit the ecosystem. Monarchs aren’t palatable...

Eastern monarch butterflies kept in captivity still migrate south when they’re released. That could be good news for butterfly-rearing hobbyists and classrooms that raise monarchs as a learning opportunity. Researchers...

Current conservation measures for monarch butterflies may be falling short, say researchers who created a model to analyze how the butterflies are faring. Rodrigo Solis-Sosa, a veterinarian and PhD candidate...

The number of monarch butterflies landing on their wintering grounds in central Mexico in 2020 has dropped by about 26% from the previous year. Rather than counting individual butterflies, researchers...

Exhibiting anger while hungry is a common phenomenon — humans have even come up with the term “hangry” to describe it. In monarch (Danaus plexippus) caterpillars, when they can’t get...