Monarch Butterflies Dying, Lowest Levels in Decades: Reports

A Monarch butterfly is seen in New Zealand in 2012. (Marty Melville/AFP/Getty Images)

The New York Times, citing scientists and the Mexican government, said that extreme weather and different farming tactics in North America were the reason for the drop in butterfly populations.

The Mexican government, workers with the World Wildlife Fund, and staff with telecommunications company Telcel looked at butterflies doing their yearly migration to their winter home in Mexico. The Mexican government’s National Commission of Natural Protected Areas said the area of forest has dropped to just 2.94 acres of butterflies, a 59 percent decline from the 7.14 acres in winter 2011.

“The decrease of Monarch butterflies … probably is due to the negative effects of reduction in milkweed and extreme variation in the United States and Canada,” the groups said in a statement, according to The Associated Press.

World Wildlife Fund Mexico director Omar Vidal said, “The conservation of the Monarch butterfly is a shared responsibility between Mexico, the United States and Canada. By protecting the reserves and having practically eliminated large-scale illegal logging, Mexico has done its part.”

He added, “It is now necessary for the United States and Canada to do their part and protect the butterflies’ habitat in their territories.”.

Butterfly populations can vary greatly each year, but the figures that were reported this week show that there is evidence that butterfly populations are dropping overall.

Monarch butterflies migrate in successive generations. Newborn butterflies replace elder ones as they die off, keeping on the journey to Mexico.

Chip Taylor, director of the conservation group Monarch Watch at the University of Kansas, points out that there was likely a disruption in the reproduction cycle, leading to a drop in population. He said that extreme weather in the United States was partially to blame.

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The New York Times, citing scientists and the Mexican government, said that extreme weather and different farming tactics in North America were the reason for the drop in butterfly populations.

The Mexican government, workers with the World Wildlife Fund, and staff with telecommunications company Telcel looked at butterflies doing their yearly migration to their winter home in Mexico. The Mexican government’s National Commission of Natural Protected Areas said the area of forest has dropped to just 2.94 acres of butterflies, a 59 percent decline from the 7.14 acres in winter 2011.

“The decrease of Monarch butterflies … probably is due to the negative effects of reduction in milkweed and extreme variation in the United States and Canada,” the groups said in a statement, according to The Associated Press.

World Wildlife Fund Mexico director Omar Vidal said, “The conservation of the Monarch butterfly is a shared responsibility between Mexico, the United States and Canada. By protecting the reserves and having practically eliminated large-scale illegal logging, Mexico has done its part.”

He added, “It is now necessary for the United States and Canada to do their part and protect the butterflies’ habitat in their territories.”.

Butterfly populations can vary greatly each year, but the figures that were reported this week show that there is evidence that butterfly populations are dropping overall.

Monarch butterflies migrate in successive generations. Newborn butterflies replace elder ones as they die off, keeping on the journey to Mexico.

Chip Taylor, director of the conservation group Monarch Watch at the University of Kansas, points out that there was likely a disruption in the reproduction cycle, leading to a drop in population. He said that extreme weather in the United States was partially to blame.

The Epoch Times publishes in 35 countries and in 21 languages. Subscribe to our e-newsletter.