Monarch butterflies are known for their incredible migrations, but their numbers can vary a lot from year to year. Elizabeth Tidwell, Wildlife Program Specialist at Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, explains that these fluctuations are normal and caused by factors like weather events, food availability, and migration patterns.

“Year-to-year changes in monarch populations are common across many wildlife species,” Tidwell told KGTX 7. “Things like droughts, hurricanes, and how much food is available can all affect how many monarchs you see in any given year.”

That said, the bigger problem is that monarch populations have been shrinking significantly over the past few decades. In the U.S., there are two main migratory populations: eastern and western. Both groups travel to warmer areas during the winter to survive and reproduce.

Since the 1980s, monarch numbers in both populations have dropped by more than 80 percent. The western population is especially at risk, with studies predicting a 99 percent chance they could go extinct by 2080.

Because of these sharp declines, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposed adding monarch butterflies to the Endangered Species List earlier this year. While no final decision has been made yet, this step highlights how serious the situation is.

Tidwell points to several reasons for the decline, but habitat loss and food scarcity are the biggest. Monarch caterpillars rely entirely on milkweed plants, which have been disappearing due to urban development, agriculture, and herbicide use.

“The loss of milkweed and other habitat is a major factor in the drop in monarch numbers,” Tidwell said.

Conservation efforts like planting native milkweed and creating pollinator-friendly spaces can help support monarch populations. For anyone interested, these simple actions can make a difference.

Photo credit: Pixabay, Creative Commons