Understanding the Monarch Butterfly’s “Endangered” Listing

About the Decision

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), an international partnership dedicated to monitoring the status of the natural world, has added the migratory monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus plexippus) to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as Endangered, threatened by habitat destruction and climate change.

From the IUCN’s press release regarding the listing:

The Endangered migratory monarch butterfly is a subspecies of the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus). The native population, known for its migrations from Mexico and California in the winter to summer breeding grounds throughout the United States and Canada, has shrunk by between 22% and 72% over the past decade. Legal and illegal logging and deforestation to make space for agriculture and urban development has already destroyed substantial areas of the butterflies’ winter shelter in Mexico and California, while pesticides and herbicides used in intensive agriculture across the range kill butterflies and milkweed, the host plant that the larvae of the monarch butterfly feed on.

Climate change has significantly impacted the migratory monarch butterfly and is a fast-growing threat; drought limits the growth of milkweed and increases the frequency of catastrophic wildfires, temperature extremes trigger earlier migrations before milkweed is available, while severe weather has killed millions of butterflies.

What does this listing mean?

This listing through the IUCN is not an endangered listing through the US Fish and Wildlife Service’s Endangered Species Act (ESA). However, assessments of the species status were conducted by the IUCN team and experts, and their findings are consistent with the results of the ESA Species Status Assessment. The ESA listing remains on the same trajectory of an expected final ruling in 2024; meanwhile, the IUCN designation does not provide any protections or regulatory authority as the ESA ruling would provide.

“Because the monarch is a candidate, we review its status each year to ensure its priority is appropriate,” a memo released by the Fish and Wildlife Service says. “We welcome any new information on the monarch’s status that will help inform our decision-making process.”

The IUCN listing is important as a call to action — there is an urgent need for conservation work, and for data gathering focused on the migratory monarch butterfly.

“It is difficult to watch monarch butterflies and their extraordinary migration teeter on the edge of collapse, but there are signs of hope,” said Anna Walker, member of the IUCN SSC Butterfly and Moth Specialist Group. “So many people and organisations have come together to try and protect this butterfly and its habitats. From planting native milkweed and reducing pesticide use to supporting the protection of overwintering sites and contributing to community science, we all have a role to play in making sure this iconic insect makes a full recovery.”

Your Role in Monarch Conservation

This endangered listing with the IUCN is a loud call to action that we need all hands on deck for monarch and pollinator conservation, and there is urgency in increasing the scale of our actions across North America.

Utah Pollinator Pursuit’s goal of improving conservation efforts for pollinator species relies on community science. Utah is a key location in the migration of monarch butterflies, and community science data gathered on monarchs and monarch habitat is extremely important in conservation decisions.

Our volunteer resources page is a key place to find information on how to identify monarchs, and how to share that data with Utah Pollinator Pursuit.

Additionally, creating monarch habitat is a vital way to support migrating monarch populations. Planting milkweed and nectar plants and providing safe pollinator habitat can directly benefit monarch populations. Our “How You Can Help” page is full of resources on creating habitat for monarchs and other butterflies.

“Few species evoke the awe and wonder that the migratory monarch butterfly commands,” said Dr Sean T. O’Brien, President and CEO of Nature Serve in a press release from the IUCN. “While efforts to protect this species are encouraging, much is still needed to ensure its long-term survival. Never has there been a more pressing time to collect data on our nation’s biodiversity.”

Resources for Monarch Conservation

One of Utah Pollinator Pursuit’s primary goals is to Educate and involve community members in the most effective methods used to improve pollinator habitat. To that end, we provide resources for pollinator conservation. You can find those related to data gathering and to monarchs and monarch habitat here: