GLAND, Switzerland – The monarch butterfly, which became Minnesota’s state butterfly in 2000, has been designated an endangered species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. The group estimates that populations have declined at least 22%, and perhaps 72%, in the last 10 years. Monarchs are unusual among butterflies because they migrate north and south, as do birds. About four generations of monarchs are born in Minnesota each summer. Their caterpillars feed on milkweed, which flourishes throughout Minnesota.
Monarchs. Threatened by habitat destruction and climate change.