Save our King: Monarchs of the Wilds

By Ryan Reed

The term “monarch” refers to royalty, or king, and it’s hard to argue with which Pennsylvania butterfly wears that crown. Bursting with color and ornately patterned, monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus) are some of the most beautiful creatures in North America.

What better organism to grab the attention of a youngster, perhaps shaping a future in natural resources? Back in the 1980s, my friend’s dad probably didn’t care much for the little aquarium stuffed full of milkweed and a few bright larvae, but these caterpillars were absolutely captivating. Watching them eat and grow, form a chrysalis, emerge, and fly away was a cycle of equal parts entertainment, sci-fi movie, and science lab.

The amazement of youth has given way to concern for their conservation. It is troubling indeed to realize their numbers have dropped from around one billion in the mid-1990s to about 35 million now, a loss of approximately 97% of their abundance (www.biologicaldiversity.org). To blame are the typical offenders– pesticides, development, and deforestation. Conversion of habitat into monocultural fields and development are the primary threats in North America, while loss of forests in Mexico pressures their overwintering range.

Over a century ago, the last passenger pigeon died in the Cincinnati Zoo. To think that humans caused the extinction of an animal that once numbered near 3 billion is astounding. Sadly, it appears the monarch is trending similarly. Their extinction would be an immeasurable loss, almost unthinkable. But conservation has come a long way since the demise of the passenger pigeon; the resurgence of our national symbol (the bald eagle) is proof. Successfully conserving the monarch may require a similar, concerted effort. If only for all the wide-eyed kids out there, we must conserve this iconic species. We must save our king.