Florida study finds monarch butterflies declined 80 percent

Every year thousands of monarch butterflies dance through the air over North Florida, migrating between their breeding ground in Mexico and their regular homes along the U. S. Atlantic coastline.

Every year, there have been fewer and fewer of them.

A new University of Florida study — at 37 years, the longest of its kind — has found that the number of caterpillars and butterflies in North Florida have been declining steadily since 1985.

Since 2005, the numbers have dropped by 80 percent.

"It’s alarming," said associate professor Jaret Daniels, a co-author of the study. "Before 2005, there was more fluctuation in the data. Since 2005, the rate of decline has been steady."

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Mike, There has been a massive drop off in nearly all insects world wide. Same goes with nearly all species of life on the planet.

Christopher