Habitat: The monarch butterfly spends its winters in mild regions such as Florida, Mexico,

California, or Arizona. During other seasons, it breeds throughout southern Canada and the
United States, provided that there is an abundance of milkweed and trees to roost in.
Causes of Decline: The monarch butterfly is directly threatened by large-scale pesticide use
by farmers along its migratory paths. Indirectly, it is threatened by the killing of milkweed by
herbicide on farms. Also, deforestation robs monarch butterflies of trees to roost in, resulting
in habitat fragmentation.
Susceptibility to Decline: The monarch butterfly can only breed where milkweed is
growing. Milkweed is the plant that caterpillars feed on quasi-exclusively; however, milkweed
is being eradicated by herbicide as mentioned above. Also, its migratory paths across vast
swathes of land expose it to dangers such as pesticides in many different regions.
Conservation Efforts: Organizations such as the Monarch Joint Venture are actively
lobbying to designate the monarch butterfly as an endangered species. These organizations are
also trying to convince people to plant milkweed for the monarch butterflys continued
survival.
References:
"Monarch Butterflies, Monarch Butterfly Pictures, Monarch Butterfly Facts - National
Geographic." National Geographic. National Geographic Society, n.d. Web. 03 Dec.
2015.
"Monarch Butterfly." National Wildlife Federation. National Wildlife Federation, n.d. Web. 3
Dec. 2015.

Monarch Butterfly
Danaus plexippus