Changes in migration patterns put monarch butterflies at risk

Though the monarch butterfly is not currently in danger of extinction, since it abounds in Central and South America , as well as the Caribbean , northern Africa , the Iberian Peninsula , and Australia , its migration patterns could become altered in the near future, as well as their role as pollinators.

Through a press release, Carlos Cordero Macedo, an investigator at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) ’s Ecology Institute, pointed out that more than 90% of the species’ population migrated from the north cold winter in Canada and some parts of the United States to central Mexico.

The specialist highlighted the importance of said process since monarchs play a key role in the pollination of numerous plant species along the way. In early spring, the butterflies undertake a 5,000 kilometer journey to return to the northern half of the continent.

“It is a very impressive natural show. In practical terms, one of the main benefits of these insects’ regular, massive travels is the economic gain for communities in central Mexico where the monarchs are one of the main tourist attractions,” he stated.

From a scientific standpoint, mass migration is quite special, and the disturbance of said process due to human activities such as logging or over-exploitation of plants monarchs usually feed on would constitute an ecological tragedy, he claimed.

Although monarch butterflies usually cross a large part of the national territory, most of them arrive in the State of Mexico and Michoacán , where monarch sanctuaries are located.

Their annual migration largely depends on the governments of Mexico, Canada, and the United States. “All three of them must put in place an effective plan to protect forests and plants on their path,” Cordero Macedo explained.

He underlined the need to raise awareness of the importance of the monarch’s migration behavior.

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