U.S. Scientists To Study Monarch Butterfly Numbers for Protected Status

"For scientist Tierra Curry, the monarch butterfly is part of the American experience.

Native to North America, once present in every U.S. state except Alaska, the insects with the distinctive and colorful wings are known for their spectacular migration each year from Mexico to Canada and back.

But scientists like Curry have seen their numbers plummet: Monarch populations have dropped by 90% in the last two decades alone."

John M. Glionna reports for the Los Angeles Times December 29, 2014.