GoGardenNews - Items of gardening and ecological interest — butterflies

"Maybe science has misunderstood the dining style of big monarch butterfly caterpillars. What insect watchers have called defense against the toxic latex a milkweed plant oozes may not be avoidance at all. Instead of dodging the plants’ sticky, white toxic goo, the plump, older caterpillars could be gorging on it", says Susan Milius via ScienceNews.

Phys.org reports, "The number of monarch butterflies that showed up at their winter resting grounds in central Mexico decreased by about 26% this year, and four times as many trees were lost to illegal logging, drought and other causes, making 2020 a bad year for the butterflies."

An article appearing in The Hill reports, "Number of monarch butterflies migrating to Mexico for winter is on the decline."

According to Richland County Urban Horticulture agent, Jackie Jordan, there are things you can do to help Monarch butterflies survive.

Fox News, among many other outlets, posted that the Monarch butterfly is now officially on the endangered species list. "The International Union for the Conservation of Nature added the migrating monarch butterfly for the first time to its 'red list' of threatened species and categorized it as 'endangered' — two steps from extinct."