The widespread use of pesticides, such as Roundup, has killed off milkweed plants, a crucial food source for monarchs.

The major U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s proposal would declare the iconic species as threatened, with federal scientists saying the species is on the decline.

FILE - A butterfly sits on a leaf at Monarch Grove Sanctuary in Pacific Grove, Calif., on Nov. 10, 2021. (AP Photo/Nic Coury, File) ...

For the past three years, more than 200,000 western monarch butterflies spent their ... since the count first began in 1997. While the butterfly’s population has been declining for years ...

The Western population of the monarch butterfly hit a near-record low with fewer than 10,000 found living in California this winter, a foreboding sign.

WASHINGTON— The yearly count of monarch butterflies overwintering in Mexico ... the Center for Food Safety petitioned the Fish and Wildlife Service to protect the butterfly under the Endangered ...