Whenever scientists announce that a species is struggling, the mind immediately turns to climate change. However, in this case, the negative side effects of the changing climate are not to blame.
Researchers have found that monarch butterflies are in trouble, and while the problem isn’t fossil fuels or even a warming planet, humans are still at fault. A big adjustment will have to be made if we want to see these beautiful pollinators survive.
Monarch Butterflies and Pollination
Monarch butterflies are certainly one of the most attractive insect species; with their orange and black wings speckled with white spots, people from all over the world enjoy watching these magnificent creatures.
But monarchs also have an important job: They are pollinators, which means they frequent certain flowers, feeding off the pollen and transporting necessary fertilizers to other plants.
Monarch Butterflies Are Vital to Crops
Monarch butterflies pollinate a wide variety of plants and crops, including milkweed, eggplant, watermelons, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and beans.
But unfortunately, US scientists have found that this species is struggling to survive, and without them, crops around the country could deteriorate.
How Many Monarch Butterflies Are There in the US?
While it can be challenging to count each and every butterfly, most experts agree that, as of July 2024, there are around 233,294 monarch butterflies in the United States.
That means that the number of monarch butterflies has decreased by around 99.9% since the 1980s and by around 30.4% since 2022. So, it should come as no surprise that scientists and environmentalists are deeply concerned.
A 10-Year Long Study on Monarch Butterflies
In 2014, scientists realized just how quickly the monarch butterfly population in the US was shrinking and decided to conduct an extensive study to find out why.
They tested absolutely everything from air pollution to changes in land use, rising global temperatures, and various forms of popular pesticides. Finally, in June 2024, they published their incredibly interesting findings.
What Is Killing the Monarch Butterflies?
The authors of the study explained that the main contributor to the ever-decreasing monarch butterfly population was none other than insecticide use.
Specifically, they noted that neonicotinoids, a type of insecticide, kill hundreds of thousands of monarch butterflies every year.
What Are Neonicotinoids?
Neonicotinoids are neuro-active chemicals used to protect plants from harmful insects. They were originally introduced into industrial farming in the Midwest in 2003 and rapidly adopted by farmers all over the country.
The study reports that these specific insecticides have directly killed at least 8% of the monarch population over the past 19 years.
Neonicotinoids Weren’t Created to Kill Butterflies
Of course, neonicotinoids weren’t designed to harm necessary pollinators like monarch butterflies. They were made to eliminate aphids, which are tiny, invasive insects that eat away at crops.
Aphids were a real problem for farmers around the country and the world until the development of neonicotinoids. However, it’s now clear that these chemicals are killing far more than just aphids.
“A Story About Unintended Consequences”
The study’s co-author and a professor of agricultural economics at Michigan State University, Scott Swinton, explained, “[This is] a story about unintended consequences.”
He continues, “In developing technologies that were very effective at controlling soybean aphid and certain other agricultural pests, non-target species that we care about, butterflies in particular, have been harmed.”
Neonicotinoids Have Already Been Banned in Europe
Interestingly, the US is one of the only countries that continues to allow the use of neonicotinoids because of how detrimental they are to necessary insects.
Most nations in Europe banned the insecticides in 2018 because they noticed a significant decrease in the bee population. And as we all know, bees are absolutely necessary for the success of both the environment and human-grown crops.
Neonicotinoids Aren’t the Only Factor Contributing to the Death of the Monarch Butterfly
While the study’s authors noted that neonicotinoids are the leading factor in the decline of the monarch butterfly population, they are not the only culprit.
They also found that a herbicide called glyphosate, commonly known as Roundup, is playing a big role. Roundup is used to protect crops, but it also kills milkweed, which monarch butterflies absolutely need to survive.
Monarch Butterflies Are Officially Considered Endangered
In 2022, the International Union for Conservation of Nature announced that monarch butterflies are officially endangered.
While the US has yet to ban neonicotinoids, environmentalists hope that it will soon. If not, the beautiful and necessary monarch butterflies could be completely extinct within the next decade.
