The precipitous decline of the monarch butterfly population over the past three decades — estimates place it at more than 80 percent from the 1990s — has won a reprieve. Data on monarchs overwintering in Mexico in 2022 show a sharp increase in their numbers, with researchers estimating monarch swarms covering 2.84 hectares (7 acres) compared with just 2.1 hectares (5.2 acres) the previous year. “So there were pessimistic thoughts that it would not increase, but the 35 percent seems to be correct. Last year, Mexico officials reported the overwintering monarch population was down 26 percent from 2020. “The increase in monarch butterflies is good news and indicates that we should continue working to maintain and reinforce conservation measures by Mexico, the United States, and Canada,” said Jorge Rickards, general manager of World Wildlife Fund-Mexico.

Source: The Guardian June 17, 2022 21:08 UTC