According to reports, population of monarch butterfly has declined by more than 90% during the last two decades. Environmentalists have been seeking protection for the black-and-orange insect under the Endangered Species Act. According to the environmentalists, to save the population of monarch butterfly, it is necessary to restore milkweed habitat. The environmentalists said that restoring milkweed habitat will also help other insects like honey bees, whose numbers have decreased by over 4 million beehives in last about seven decades.

Lincoln Brower, ecologist at Sweet Briar College in Virginia, said, “My feeling is if the monarch goes, it is like the canary in the coalmine”.

As per the reports, the United States Fish and Wildlife Service has gathered data about the butterfly through March 2. In December, the federal government agency within the US Department of the Interior will make decision on whether to list the butterfly as threatened or not.

Brower further said that to make a plan to save the insect, it is necessary that monarch gains ‘threatened’ status under the Endangered Species Act. The solution to save the insect is to address herbicides, as per Brower.

According to studies on the butterfly, some of the monarch populations migrate several miles from breeding and wintering grounds. Along the route, there is less of the milkweed, which is necessary for the butterfly. On milkweed, they lay their eggs.

Decrease in milkweed is majorly responsible for declining population of the black-and-orange butterflies.

According to the environmentalists, decline has coincided with rise of Monsanto’s popular weed killer Roundup, which has knocked out milkweed plants. According to the reports, herbicide makers have said that they are committed to helping the monarch butterfly population.