A queen butterfly helping to pollinate some wildflowers, on a remote shore of the Arkansas River (not someone's garden). This is a mimic of the monarch butterfly, which unlike this queen, has some serious conservation issues worth discussing. Monarchs probably deserve to be listed as an endangered species, as their numbers have shown long-term declines, and in the last decade, significant declines. Some overwintering populations have decreased by 50% to 90% in the last decade in the United States. We may see this species go extinct in our lifetimes, which is heartbreaking. They are important pollinators, and even a food source, for many other species in their ecosystems. One of the main reasons for their population declines is the removal of milkweed, which they rely on for food and shelter. People treat milkweed as just that, a weed, and they kill it. If you can, keep your milkweed, and encourage others to do the same.