Monarch butterflies to be listed as a threatened species in US

Associated Press

MADISON, Wis. (AP) — U.S. wildlife officials have decided to extend federal protections to monarch butterflies. Fish and Wildlife Service officials on Tuesday announced plans to list monarchs as threatened. The agency will take public comments on the plan until March before finalizing the move. Monarchs are known for distinctive orange and black markings on their wings. Environmentalists say climate change is threatening the butterflies by skewing migration patterns and hindering the growth of milkweed, monarchs’ main food source. Agricultural expansion and herbicides also have reduced milkweed. Monarchs occupied only 2.2 acres of their wintering area in central Mexico during the 2023-24 winter season — a 59% decrease from the previous year’s area.