It frustrates me that the US Fish and Wildlife Service has NOT listed the monarch as endangered.

Personal excitement here in Central Massachusetts -- saw my first-in-a-long-time Monarch two days ago, flitting among my flowers!! Can't remember the last time I saw one here -- it's been at least 10 years. Also have tiger and black swallowtails this year, altho certainly not in the numbers of long ago. Even the early small blue butterflies are not as numerous lately. That's very depressing.

"The group estimates that the population of monarch butterflies in North America has declined between 22% and 72% over 10 years, depending on the measurement method."

That's a pretty big difference.🤔

My understanding is it's the migratory monarchs that was put on the endangered, not the non-migratory. But still not good news...

Monarch butterflies move a step closer to extinction : NPR

"Farmers' Battle Against, and Now For, Milkweed"

https://modernfarmer.com/2022/08/farmers-milkweed-monarch-butterflies/

https://globalnews.ca/news/10186774/monarch-butterfly-endangered-bumblebee/

And not unexpectedly the decline continues...

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240208-the-case-of-the-missing-monarchs-the-one-thing-humans-can-do-to-save-the-butterflies

Interesting @sah_upstate4 (zone 5b - NY) but it is frustrating/disconcerting as many hobbyists/enthusiasts have very good intentions and one feels that this is all we can do i.e. make our gardens attractive to these wonderful creatures.

Thank you for the continued updates. In my area I've seen a marked decrease in all butterflies and moths over the past couple of years. I'm wondering whether aerial spraying for spotted lantern flies is affecting other insects.