With vigorous debate surrounding the health of the monarch butterfly, new research from the University of Georgia may have answered the biggest question plaguing butterfly researchers. Why are the wintering populations declining while breeding populations are stable? Published by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the study suggests that monarchs are dying off during their fall migration south to Mexico.
Tag: monarch butterfly
After years of concern, monarch butterflies are doing just fine, thank you
Scientists have been warning for quite some time that monarch butterflies were headed for extinction. But to misquote Mark Twain, rumors of their demise were greatly exaggerated. A new study found that growth in the summer population has compensated for losses during the winter.