This afternoon in west central Missouri:

Monarch. F 6.3, 1/1000, ISO 800, 200 mm, 25 mm extension tube.

Via the United States Fish and Wildlife Service:

Petition to protect the monarch butterfly under the Endangered Species Act [pdf]

…Overall the North American monarch population has declined by more than 90 percent in the past two decades based on comparisons of the most recent population size estimates to the 20-year average. Numbers of monarchs east of the Rockies have declined by more than 90 percent since 1995; at most recent count, in winter 2013-2014, monarchs east of the Rockies dropped to the lowest number yet recorded, continuing the progression toward declining numbers seen over the last decade. Similarly, numbers of monarchs west of the Rockies have declined by more than 50 percent since 1997. The significant threats facing the monarch are high in magnitude and ongoing…

Monarch. F 8.0, 1/1000, ISO 800, 145 mm, 25 mm extension tube.

This afternoon in west central Missouri:

Danaus plexippus.

From 2014:

As Dwindling Monarch Butterflies Make Their Migration, Feds Try to Save Them

….The North American monarch population has declined by 90 percent over the past two decades. At its high in the winter of 1996-1997, there were a billion monarchs. Today, there are only about 35 million, according to a petition filed in August by scientists from several environmental organizations asking the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to classify the monarch as “threatened” under the U.S. Endangered Species Act….

Does anyone think that Donald Trump’s administration cares? Just asking.

Better look while the looking is still possible.