Monarch butterflies added to Canada’s endangered species list
Monarch butterflies have been added to Canada’s endangered species list, along with a species of bumblebee being named a species of special concern.
The monarch butterfly, known for their distinct orange and black wing markings, was added to the Species At Risk Act (SARA) after previously being given the status of special concern.
Where do monarch butterflies live?
Monarch butterflies’ Canadian range of occurrence includes portions of nine provinces from British Columbia to Nova Scotia. Eastern monarchs breed from Alberta to eastern Nova Scotia and migrate south to overwinter in the mountains of Central Mexico. Western monarchs breed in southern British Columbia and migrate south to overwinter in coastal California.
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Why are monarch butterflies on the endangered species list?
Within Canada, threats to the monarch include a decline in nectar supplies along the migratory route, and pesticide use, including increased use of herbicides affecting milkweed (which monarchs rely on to survive).
The designation under SARA gives endangered or threatened species additional protection on federal lands, making it an offence to kill, harm, or damage a species’ residence.
Where do western bumblebees live?
The western bumblebee mckayi subspecies can be found from central-northern British Columbia up to southern Yukon and western Northwest Territories, while the western bumblebee occidentalis subspecies is found in British Columbia, south of the 55–57o N latitude, as well as in the southern parts of Alberta and Saskatchewan.
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Why are western bumblebees a species of special concern?
Both subspecies of the western bumblebee have been moved to a species of special concern thanks to some pesticide use, habitat change, and disease transmission from exotic bumblebee species.
Additionally, the occidentalis subspecies is threatened by intensive residential and commercial development in the lower mainland, lower Fraser Valley, and Greater Victoria area in British Columbia, as well as in Calgary and its surrounding area in Alberta.
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