This Regal Butterfly Now Under ‘Urgent Threat’ in Missouri

It's easy to take nature for granted. I grew up in Missouri and butterflies were never a rare sight. There's a new urgent measure being enacted by wildlife officials now as they say a species of regal butterflies are approaching danger in Missouri specifically.

I saw this issue brought up by the Oklahoma Voice. They pointed to a United States Fish and Wildlife recommendation that endangered species protections be enacted for the regal butterfly and Missouri was specified as one of the areas where that's needed.

At first glance, these look like the famous Monarch butterflies, but they're not. They're Eastern Regal Butterflies. This fun YouTube channel refers to them as "Monarchs if they were dipped in chocolate".

Protections of this butterfly in Missouri will not be immediate if approved. The United States Fish and Wildlife has submitted the recommendation for a 30-day peer review which will extend through October 7, 2024.

My understanding of this butterfly's predicament is that they are a grassland species and cannot migrate if their habitat is removed. That translates into this gentle creature can't move and adjust to a new area if the one they're in right now in Missouri is used for agriculture or any other commercial development.

I'm not gonna pretend to be a butterfly expert, but as a human it would be sad if the numbers in Missouri begin to decline or go away completely. Every kid growing up in Missouri should have the joy of seeing lightning bugs and butterflies. Can't imagine it any other way.