The monarch butterfly moved closer to winning powerful protections in the United States after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in December proposed listing the insect as “threatened” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). A listing would trigger conservation steps and millions of dollars of government funding to avert extinction, scientists and lawyers say. The monarch (Danaus plexippus) is beloved for its orange and black wings and continent-spanning migration, but loss of habitat has led to a massive decline in population in recent decades. In a 55-page proposal to list the butterfly, the USFWS summarizes the threats to the insect as loss of habitat due to conversion of U.S. grasslands to agriculture and the use of herbicides; logging at the monarch’s overwintering sites in the hills of central Mexico; urban development in overwintering sites in California; and increased drought and heat due to climate change. (“Threatened” designates... [Log in to read more]