"More than 27 percent fewer monarch butterflies migrated to Mexican forests during the 2016/2017 season, a study showed on Thursday, fueling concerns the orange-and-black insect could face growing threats from weather and deforestation.

During the second half of December 2016, monarch butterflies covered 2.91 hectares (7.2 acres) of fir and pine forests in the central states of Michoacan and Mexico, compared with 4.01 hectares (9.9 acres) in the same period in the previous year, the study said.

Led by the World Wildlife Fund, Mexico's National Commission of Natural Protected Areas (CONANP), and others, the study cited fewer mating sites, extreme weather and deforestation as threats to the migration of the monarch butterfly."

Natalie Schachar reports for Reuters February 9, 2017. [2]