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Endangered Species

An adult Makah copper butterfly perches on vegetation in a coastal bog. Its wings are largely a shiny copper, spotted with black, and banded along the edge with a wide brown and very narrow white stripe.
Xerces is Seeking Endangered Species Act Protection for the Imperiled Makah Copper Butterfly
State of the Bees Initiative
Folks surveying for rare fireflies
50 Years of Invertebrate Conservation Under the Endangered Species Act
Morrison bumble bee visiting showy milkweed flowers
Xerces Society Files ESA Petition to Protect Morrison Bumble Bee
American burying beetle in soil
This Beetle Buries the Dead
Fireflies flashing in the Nevada night
Secrets of the Nevada Nighttime (No, It’s Not Aliens)
Large marble butterfly on flower
The Xerces Society has Submitted a Petition for the Listing of the Large Marble Butterfly Under the Federal Endangered Species Act
male coastal greenish blue butterfly
Searching for Rare Butterflies on the Oregon and California Coasts
Monarch caterpillar on narrowleaf milkweed (Asclepias fascicularis). (Photo: Xerces Society / Stephanie McKnight)
Keep Monarchs Wild: Why Captive Rearing Isn’t the Way to Help Monarchs
Widow skimmer, photographed by Bryan E. Reynolds
Ambassadors for a Watery World
Moon-marked skipper butterfly on a flower
Without State-Level Protection, These Invertebrates Face an Uncertain Future
Golden-belted bumble bee
Insects Are Wildlife, Too
Yellow/green flashes at dusk from Southwest spring fireflies near grazing cattle
ESA Petition Filed to Protect Southern Arizona’s Southwest Spring Firefly
Florida intertidal firefly larva crawling on some rocks
ESA Petition filed to protect the Florida intertidal firefly (Micronaspis floridana)
Loopy five firefly flash pattern, with 2 semi-circular flashes and 3 short blips forming a circle
ESA Petition Filed to Protect the Loopy Five Firefly, a Southeastern Lightning Bug
Fireflies flashing at night
ESA Petition Filed to Protect the Mysterious Lantern Firefly (Photuris mysticalampas) on the Delmarva Peninsula of Delaware and Maryland
A participant uses their iphone camera to photograph a firefly in a petri dish
New Firefly Atlas Will Put Beloved Beetles on the Map
Monarchs cluster together on a branch
Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count Tallies Over 330,000 Butterflies Before Storms Batter Overwintering Sites
Clusters of overwintering monarchs on a tree branch
The Current Status of Western Monarch Butterflies, By the Numbers
A hesperian snail from a site near Grizzly Creek
Notes From the Field: Putting Snails on the (Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument) Map
A Xerces conservation biologist hikes down from a small glacier that is now mostly just a snowfield. A chain of meltwater lakes can be seen in the distance, with smoke from nearby wildfires on the horizon.
In Search of the Elusive Northern Forestfly
Attendees of the Monarch Butterfly Summit at the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center in Washington, DC. (Photo: Scott Black/ Xerces Society)
D.C. Monarch Summit Secures Funding for Monarch Conservation
Fireflies at dusk outside a lit house. (Photo: Jerry Lai, Flickr.com.)
World Firefly Day: Keeping Fireflies in the Neighborhood
Emily Spindler samples pollinators in New Mexico (Photo: Aimee Code, Xerces Society)
Protecting New Mexico's Very Hungry Caterpillars
West coast lady, Vanessa annabella. Photo: Chris Halsch, University of Nevada-Reno
Grassroots Conservation is the Key to Saving Imperiled Western Butterflies
Synchronous fireflies line a path through Great Smoky Mountains National Park (Photo: Radim Schreiber, fireflyexperience.org)
Sparking a Sustainable Firefly Tourism Movement
Western monarchs overwintering in California 2021-2022 (Photo: Jessica Griffiths)
New Year’s Count of Western Monarchs Tracks Population Decline During Overwintering Season
Bicellonycha wickershamorum AZ. Photo: Scott Cylwik
New Report: State of the Fireflies of the US and Canada
An underwater photo showing the bottom of a river and above it in the hazy water small brown fish. The river bottom is made of dark, rounded rocks, some large, some small, surrounded by pale brown sand. In the sand can be seen dozens of freshwater mussels. The mussels are oval shaped and very dark, almost black. The two halves of their shells are slightly open, showing the paler, soft flesh of the animal.
The Merit of Mussels
leaf litter, overwinter, bumble bee life cycle, science, conservation
Where do Bumble Bee Queens Overwinter? Participate in Queen Quest This Fall to Help Us Find Out!
yellow, flower, dandelion, community science, Bumble Bee Watch
A Q&A with Daniel Potvin-Leduc, a Bumble Bee Watch Star from Quebec
A photo of a desert landscape. In the background, brown hills dotted with green shrbs rise toward the blue sky. In the foreground, flowers are in bloom. A row of low shrubs coverd in white flowers stretches away from the viewer toward a clump of short trees.
Climate News: Nature-Based Climate Solutions Address Climate Change and Support Pollinators
A close up of a firefly. The firefly is mostly black, with some red patches behind its head and pale brown edges to its shell. It is standing on a narrow green leaf as it flashes its green light.
World Firefly Day: Watch Us, Don’t Catch Us!
Wildflowers grow beside a quite rural road. The most abundant plant has small gray-green leaves that grow on horizontal branches and a clyster of long, narrow spikes of dark purple flowers at the top of the stem
Pollinators Find a Home on Roadsides
In daylight, most fireflies don't look so magical. This big dipper firefly is mostly black, with pale brown margins to it's body and a red patch on the top of it's thorax.
Shedding Light on Firefly Natural History and Distributions through Community Science
A small brown and white butterfly rests with it's wings open on a brightly colored red and yellow flower
Announcing the 2021 DeWind Award Winners
A female glow-worm is a rather bizarre-looking animal, with a large, bright pink segmented body.
Latest Update to the IUCN Red List Includes First Global Assessments for Fireflies, with a Spotlight on North America
Two orange-and-black monarch butterflies drink nectar on yellow-and-red colored flowers. The flowers are tropical milkweed, a non-native plant that should not be grown to help monarchs.
Resident Monarch Populations on the Rise in California: What Does this Mean for the Western Migratory Population?
Graph showing results from surveys of overwintering monarchs in California. The number of monarchs has fallen for several years, so the height of the bars gets shorter and shorter to the right of the graph
Fifth Annual Western Monarch New Year’s Count Confirms Continued Decline in Western Monarch Population
Orange-and-black monarch butterflies cling to the green branches of tress and fly in the blue sky
Monarch Numbers from Mexico Point to Declining Population
A yellow and black bumble bee drinks nectar from pale pink flowers of milkweed
California Court Case: Protection of Insects under the California Endangered Species Act
"Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count Data 1997-2020 shows that despite a strong volunteer effort, monarch numbers are at the lowest point recorded since the count started in 1997"
Western Monarch Population Closer to Extinction as the Wait Continues for Monarchs’ Protection Under the Endangered Species Act
Three young men use shovels to help plant a new tree in the middle of a grove
Planning and Planting for the Future of Monarchs in California
A handful of monarch butterflies with wings closed rest on the long gray-green leaves of eucalyptus
Monarch Population in California Spirals to Another Record Low
A yellow and black bumble bee drinks nectar from pale pink flowers of milkweed
Court Decision Undermines the State of California’s Ability to Protect Insects Under its Endangered Species Act
A black and yellow bumble bee on a bright pink flower
It Takes (More Than) a Village
The green grass of this Texas prairie is dotted with blue lupines, red paintbrush, and creamy colored yucca
The green grass of this Texas prairie is dotted with blue lupines, red paintbrush, and creamy colored yucca
Mitigating the Effects of Climate Change On Grassland Butterflies
Although partially obscured by the wings, the distinctive rusty-colored patch is just visible on the yellow band on the back of this rusty patched bumble bee
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Fails to Designate Critical Habitat for the Rusty Patched Bumble Bee
A freshwater mussel tucked between rocks. The mussel is slightly open, showing the mass of fingerlike projections that cover the hole where it sucks in river water.
Working from the (river) bottom up to conserve the western ridged mussel
Fire truck drives across a burning landscape, with the sky full of brown smoke
Australia’s Green Carpenter Bee on the Brink
Amid a mountainous, meadow-strewn landscape, three people holding butterfly nets walk along a narrow, dirt trail.
Tracking Butterfly Populations through Community Science
Two women, one with dark hair and a hat, and one with bright red hair, look at a white insect net while standing in a grassy field.
Nebraska Bumble Bee Atlas: Doing a Little to Impact the Whole
A small house with light paint and bright blue trim is dwarfed by the lush garden in the foreground, featuring flowers of a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors.
12 Climate Actions for Earth Week
A person wearing fluorescent clothing and a headlamp swings a net alongside a roadway lit by streetlamps at night.
Announcing the 2020 DeWind Awardees
Monarchs stand close together on muddy ground on the edge of a puddle.
Monarchs stand close together on muddy ground on the edge of a puddle.
Monarchs Overwintering in Mexico Down 53%
An illustrated landscape showing changing seasons (for instance, a tree that is half bare and half covered in bright pink blooms) shows bumble bees in various stages of their life cycle, including underground nests, foraging, and larvae.
Five Ways to Support Queen Bumble Bees this Spring
A monarch with large pieces missing from both wings perches on an evergreen branch.
New Year’s Count Finds Continued Decline of Monarchs Overwintering in California
A long line of people of diverse ages, genders, and races are all sporting bright yellow and black-striped bee outfits in an outdoor festival setting.
Evolution in Attitudes Leads to Greater Interest in Pollinator Conservation
In this hand-drawn/hand-painted image, a grove of trees is shown, with a cut stump and a dead monarch with tattered wings in the foreground.
The Vanishing Butterfly Groves of California
A monarch clings to the trunk of a tree in a dimly-lit landscape.
Thanksgiving Count Shows Western Monarchs Need Our Help More than Ever
A line of colorful, flowering plants, including a bush with red blossoms in the foreground, recedes into the distance. Parallel to this line are rows of trees in an orchard.
Climate News Roundup: IPCC Lands Report
A teal-colored house is seemingly dwarfed by a profusion of plants growing around it, including purple and yellow blooms.
Insect Apocalypse? What Is Really Happening; Why it Matters; and How We All Can Help
In this close-up photo, a monarch perches atop a cluster of small, white and pink flowers. The image is so detailed, you can see the eye of the monarch, and the scales on its wings.
Monarch and Pollinator Habitat Kits Designed to Support Imperiled Western Monarchs
A woman smiles while looking at a fuzzy, black, and yellow bumble bee on her finger.
Ann Puddicombe, a Bumble Bee Watch Star
A fuzzy, yellow and black striped bee perches atop a cluster of bright yellow flowers.
Still Questing for Bee Nests
A monarch butterfly perches atop a stalk of purple flowers with thread-like petals sticking out in various directions.
DeWind Alumnae Publish Three New Research Papers about Monarch Butterflies
Meandering yellow-green streaks weave through a darkening forest with a thick understory of ferns, in this long-exposure shot of fireflies.
Conserving the Jewels of the Night
How You Can Help
Firefly Species at Risk
About Fireflies
With wings spread, a monarch butterfly basks on a milkweed plant among the stems of a tulle marsh.
Western Monarchs: Notes from the Field
Western Freshwater Mussel Database Contributors
Western Freshwater Mussel Database
Published Works of DeWind Awardees
What We're Doing to Conserve Endangered Species
Rugged mountains and pine trees, some reddish brown and some green, are shown in this Colorado landscape.
Pollinator Conservation Program Digest – September 2019
Other At-Risk Invertebrates
At-Risk Aquatic Invertebrates
At-Risk Butterflies & Moths
At-Risk Bees
At-Risk Bumble Bees
A high country bumble bee (Bombus kirbiellus) looks directly at the camera, wings blurred, as it perches atop the red petals of a paintbrush blossom.
A high country bumble bee flies to a red paintbrush blossom.
The Source of Hope and Wonder Comes in Small Packages
Both Dewind awardees are shown in this composite image.
Announcing the 2019 DeWind Awardees
A woman walking across a field with a nose working dog, looking for bumble bee nests.
A woman walking across a field with a nose working dog, looking for bumble bee nests.
A Quest for Bumble Bee Nests: The Missing Link
National Championship winner of Baller Beneficials, the zebra jumpers.
Baller Beneficials! The 2019 Xerces Society Division 1 Beneficial Insect Championship
Monarch butterfly flying above milkweed.
Community Scientists Can Help Support Imperiled Western Monarchs
A group of scientists taking a photo together, including Emma Pelton, our monarch specialist.
Photo Essay: Trinational Monarch Meeting and Exploring Mexico’s Monarch Overwintering Sites
Landscaping outside an office building includes purple coneflower and goldenrod.
Mitigating the Effects of Heat on Urban Pollinators
A western monarch rests on the side of a tree with furrowed bark.
New Year’s Count of Western Monarchs Confirms Decline, Trends Seen in Previous Years
A monarch clings to the trunk of a tree in a dimly-lit landscape.
Record Low Number of Overwintering Monarch Butterflies in California—They Need Your Help!
Long-horned bee collecting pollen from a bright yellow and red plains coreopsis.
Pollinators and the 2018 Farm Bill
Brightly colored pollinator plants burst from a vibrant hedgerow running alongside an orchard.
Climate News Round-Up: January 2019
Red coreopsis flowers stand out against a blue sky.
Businesses Aligning with the Life that Sustains Us
Close up view of freshwater mussels filtering water.
Are Freshwater Mussels in Hot Water?
A monarch, with its wings folded, showing the duller orange side, clings to a rough tree trunk in a dimly-lit landscape.
Early Thanksgiving Counts Show a Critically Low Monarch Population in California
A bright orange monarch with a torn wing perches on some pink milkweed blossoms in a grassy, dry landscape.
Western Monarch Numbers Expected to Be Low this Year
Purple asters bloom against a green background.
Fall Garden Tips to Benefit Bumble Bees All Year
A bumble bee perches on a yellow flower.
The Xerces Society Seeks Endangered Species Protections for California Bumble Bees
A glowing green mason jar contains a few fireflies.
Keeping the Lights Burning: The Status of Fireflies in the United States and Canada
A bumble bee sits atop a conical spire of small white flowers.
The Endangered Species Act Needs Your Help!
The author stands in a field holding a net while talking during a demonstration.
Kicking Off Canadian Bumble Bee Watch Training Events!
DeWind Award Frequently Asked Questions
Freshwater Mussels: Threats and Conservation Efforts
About Freshwater Mussels
About Bumble Bees
Cluster of western monarchs overwintering in California
Managing Monarch Habitat in the West
Monarchs cluster on pine branches, which are backed by blue sky. The butterflies with folded wings are more drab in color, appearing to be dead leaves at first glance. The butterflies with their wings spread display a vibrant orange hue.
Western Monarch Overwintering Site Management
Managing Roadsides and Rights-of-Way for Monarchs
Managing Working Lands for Monarchs
Managing Natural Lands for Monarchs
Eastern Monarch Conservation
Western Monarch Conservation
Monarchs in Decline
Endangered Beetles
Endangered Species Conservation
milkweed
Native Milkweeds
A monarch nectars on multiple, purple, fluffy flowers growing on a stalk.
Monarch Nectar Plant Guides
A solitary bee perched on top of a capped tunnel nest
Nesting Resources
wallingford sand plains
Connecticut’s Sand Plains Need Protection
A western monarch rests on a white flower amid a dry, grassy field.
Managing for Monarchs in the West
A bright orange and black monarch perches on dry flowers in a tan field.
Newly Released Monarch Overwintering Site Management Plan Provides Blueprint for Protecting and Managing Monarch Groves
A lone monarch in shadow perches atop fluffy, pink blossoms.
Very Low Numbers of Monarchs Overwintering in California may Reflect an Unusual Fall
pismo beach monarch grove
From the Field: Counting Monarchs in Pismo Beach
golden crownbeard
Autumn Pollinators in Oklahoma
monarch cluster
New Guidelines for Protecting California’s Butterfly Groves
Bright yellow flowers bloom in the foreground of a scene with many layers. Farther out is a basin filled with subalpine lakes, and beyond are many mountain peaks.
Don’t Downsize the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument
monarch cluster
First New Year’s Monarch Count Completed
A bumble bee holds on to a group of small pale pink flowers on a single stem.
Rusty Patched Bumble Bee Deserves Protection, Not Delay
Monarchs cluster on an evergreen tree branch.
2017 Monarch Numbers Are Down, Lengthening a Worrying Trend
bombus affinis
Rusty Patched Bumble Bee: The First Bee in the Continental U.S. to be Protected Under the Endangered Species Act
monarch
To Save Monarchs, We Need More than Just Milkweed
Multiple clusters of monarchs gather on the branches of trees.
Five Lesser-Known Places to See Monarchs Overwintering in California
A western glacier stonefly rests on a brown rock
In a rapidly warming climate, imperiled species may have nowhere to run.
rusty patched
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposes ESA protection for the rusty patched bumble bee
asclepias speciosa
Monarch & Milkweed Workshops Engage Public Land Managers in Western States
monarchs in flight
Monarchs Overwintering in Coastal California Show Steep Decline Since the Late 1990s
island marble
Island Marble Butterfly: Slipping Towards Extinction
crystal skipper
The Crystal Skipper: North Carolina’s Newest Butterfly Species
counting monarchs
Harnessing the Power of Science
ruby meadowhawk
ID Dragonflies and Locate Hotspots with the Dragonfly ID App!
bombus occidentalis
Climate Change Driving, Not the Only Passenger; Bumble Bee Conservation in Context