Monarch butterfly classified as endangered species

boing
1

Originally published at: Monarch butterfly classified as endangered species | Boing Boing

…

8 Likes
2

they are supposed to migrate between canada and south america bi-annually in their thousands

6 Likes
3

Fuck.

9 Likes
4

Yup. I really hope things change but climate change is ravaging the environment faster than we can heal it.

Abso-fucking-lootly!!!

5 Likes
5

The interesting thing is that the migration time is longer than their lifespan, so they stop and breed along the way.

The butterflies that finish are the descendants of the butterflies that start.

10 Likes
6

Monarchs are the headline but the sturgeon reassessment is heartbreaking too. That’s not just one charismatic species, but a couple dozen, which aside from paddlefish have no close relatives – they are the only members left of the Chondrostei lineage going back to at least the Jurassic. Holding on all this time and of this update, every single one is listed as vulnerable or worse. :disappointed:

10 Likes
7

I am so fucking furious with my species.

7 Likes
8

I didn’t realise they migrated at all.
I still see plenty of them here in the middle of the UK.
Do they migrate south?

2 Likes
9

They are extremely rare in the UK, mostly accidental arrivals.

3 Likes
10

this might be a first of many before the world will have to change it’s direction

1 Like
11

I know some towns here in Minnesota are planting the preferred flowers of the monarchs that fly up this way. Here’s hoping this classification will get folks to actually give a damn about this species.

6 Likes
12

Honestly? I see plenty of them, each and every year.

1 Like
13

https://butterfly-conservation.org/butterflies/monarch

I once worked with a lepidopterist who was mainly into skippers, but if he heard of a monarch sighting he would beg time off work to go to the site.

4 Likes
14

Are you maybe mistaking them for some other nymphalids, like tortoiseshells or painted ladies? People rarely report any of the milkweed butterflies from the UK – or milkweed for that matter, which is not native.

4 Likes
15

Over here in the US we have viceroys, which are very hard to tell apart from Monarchs. I don’t think you have them over there, but maybe something else?

1 Like
16

Painted Ladies maybe? https://butterfly-conservation.org/news-and-blog/painted-lady-migration-secrets-revealed

If you are seeing monarchs, you should tip off some butterfly orgs in England. They would want to know!

1 Like
17

Nope, definitely Monarchs.

ETA, now I’m googling butterflies that look like Monarchs. Bear with.

3 Likes
18

Okay, Painted Lady looks similar, but I’ve never seen those caterpillars.
Definitely Monarchs, because I see their yellow and black caterpillars every year also.
I had no idea they were uncommon.
Anyone know who I should report it to?

ETA, Sorry, Kii answered that above.

EETA, Looked at Kii’s website, and now I’m not sure whether they’re Monarchs or Painted Ladies.
I might have to leave this butterfly business to someone with sharper eyes.

5 Likes
19

Plant lots of milkweed, the kinds that are as close to the species as poss. The wild ones are wonderful, too - widely spread a seed pod’s contents!

3 Likes
20

Took my camera to the allotment today to specifically answer this question.
No such luck, the season is over.
Perhaps next year I will get a picture or two.
This only bugs me so much because for decades I have been calling them Monarchs.
I don’t mind at all being proved wrong (although I’d dearly love to be right, for the sake of the flutterbys).

4 Likes