MSU Graduate Investigates Presence of Monarch Butterflies and Other Pollinators in Roadside Habitats
Monarch butterflies (Danaus plexippus), the striking and iconic orange and black insects of postcards and motivational posters, have been in population decline since the 1980s and Thomas Meinzen, a master’s student in Montana State University’s Ecology Department, turned to a largely overlooked environment to save them. His thesis, Bees and Butterflies in Roadside Habitats: Identifying […]
New Project: Conserving Monarch Butterfly Habitats Along Idaho Highways
Researchers from the Montana State University Ecology Department and WTI’s Road Ecology program will investigate the roadside habitats of monarch butterflies in Idaho, as part of a new project for the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD). The monarch butterfly population has declined drastically in western states since the 1980s, largely due to habitat loss and fragmentation. […]