Monarch butterflies not considered endangered by U.S. Fish & Wildlife

UNITED STATES (KVRR) – Last month the Monarch butterfly was designated as endangered by the worldwide group International Union for Conservation of Nature, But in the U.S. a species has to be placed on the list by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service under the Endangered Species Act.

Some entomologists believe monarchs could be on the list, but some believe other species are fairing much worse.

A Graduate Research Assistant at NDSU says the monarch’s population east of the Rocky Mountains are doing better than those to the west. She says there have been issues with its population in recent decades with pesticides and farmland taking over the butterfly’s habitat.

“In the last few years, it’s been relatively steady. Still much below what they have been in the past,” Ellysa Johnson said.

If you would like to help monarchs thrive, you can build a pollinator garden with native plants like like goldenrods and milkweed.