Written by Dante Centouri
It is that time of year again, Monarch Season!
Monarch butterflies, with their beautiful colors and dramatic yearly migration, have captivated the American public for generations, even becoming the state insect of seven states. However their populations have greatly declined over the past two decades. This decline, driven by pesticide exposure, climate change, and habitat loss, has recently led to the butterfly being classified as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and its a candidate for listing under the US Endangered Species Act.
Due to the status and beauty of this butterfly, there is a lot of public interest in helping out. An idea that may quickly come to mind is raising the butterflies yourself, as you may have done it before in school or seen others do it. However, this may actually do more harm than good. Studies on monarch butterflies raised in captivity observed that they had less elongated forewings, which is connected with migration tendencies, and paler wings, which is associated with poor flight ability. Captive raised monarchs may also have a reduced ability to navigate south, although once released exposure to natural cues such as sunlight seems to restore their navigational abilities. However, It should be noted though that all these measures of fitness are considered under the lens of whether the butterfly can make the journey to Mexico, where they spend the winter months. Butterflies raised in spring/early summer may be less negatively affected, as they are not the generation that travels to the overwintering grounds.
For the avid monarch raiser/fan this may put a damper on your spirits, but fear not, there are still ways to raise monarchs! Milkweed can be easily grown in the garden, and when you spot a monarch egg or caterpillar, set up a tomato cage around the inhabited plant. Then, first clearing the plant of other insects, wrap the cage in a thin mesh fabric like tulle fabric. Make sure to cut a flap in though so you can get in, if need be, and secure the base of the fabric so no creatures can sneak under it. After that, you’re safe to watch your new friends grow into butterflies! This whole procedure is laid out in more depth at https://www.instructables.com/How-to-Raise-Healthy-Street-Smart-Monarch-Butterfl/ for the interested butterfly fans. Even if you don’t have the time to raise them yourself, just growing milkweed in your garden is enough to help these iconic butterflies.