Are monarchs endangered?

No, the monarch is not listed as endangered under the United States Endangered Species Act. In December 2020, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declared the monarch butterfly warranted but precluded. This decision means that the monarch meets the listing criteria under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), but there are only enough resources to focus on higher-priority listing actions. Currently, the monarch butterfly is a candidate species for listing under the ESA. Its status is reviewed each year until it is no longer a candidate.

On July 21, 2022, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) announced the monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus plexippus) has entered the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as Endangered. This listing was the first time the monarch butterfly was officially been declared at risk of extinction. The IUCN Red List is one of many tools utilized in decision-making processes for public, private, and non-governmental organizations, but does not legally protect the monarch under the Endangered Species Act. 

Learn more about the Status of the monarch butterfly under the Endangered Species Act.