Bugland: Long Live The Monarch

Monarchs are one of the most beloved butterflies on the planet. Yet a combination of pesticides, climate change and suburban sprawl have taken a toll. Monarchs now teeter between listed as “vulnerable” and “endangered.” Every fall, Monarchs migrate 3,000 miles to central Mexico for winter. In the spring they return to Colorado. The females lay eggs on their host plant — the milkweed — and the cycle of life begins again. The lesson here? Plant more milkweed. This Monarch was photographed at the Rocky Mountain Arsenal by Mark Silverstein.