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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has proposed listing the monarch butterfly as a threatened species due to a significant decline in their population, putting them at risk of extinction.
This proposal comes after decades of habitat loss, pesticide use, and climate change affecting the species.
Monarch butterfly
It's a sub-species of the Danaus plexippus butterfly that travels around 4,000 kilometres across America.
They are known for their striking black and orange wings.
It’s the most recognizable butterfly species that are essential pollinators and further provides various ecosystem services such as maintaining the global food web.
A smaller population of the species is also found in countries like Australia, Hawaii, and India.
These butterflies follow a unique lifestyle: They traverse the length and breadth of the American continent twice a year, feasting on nectar from a variety of flora.
But they breed in only one particular plant — the milkweeds. The monarch larvae feed on this species on hatching.
IUCN Status : Endangered
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