Humans are driving a rare Texas plant that serves as an important food source for bees and butterflies “to the edge of extinction”

Milkweed, a rare plant native to Texas and northeastern Mexico, is part of an introduction support system for monarch bees and butterflies. But now, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is considering naming the plant an endangered species as humans destroy their critical habitats.

The USFWS proposed the list of endangered species on Monday, saying they made their proposal based on the “best available situation”.

Chris Best, a botanist at the USFWS in Texas, said the milkweed flowers “attract and support native pollinators,” including large bees and wasps, and serve as a host plant for monarch butterflies.

“Unfortunately, this species is adversely affected by competition from imported weeds and increased growth in the native Tamaulipan shrub habitat,” Best said.

The agency also blamed people for running out of resources, saying root plowing, security and border activities, energy development, construction of roads and utilities and the maintenance of the right of way have led to loss and degradation. of habitats.

To help preserve the plant, the agency has proposed nearly 700 acres of critical habitat in eight occupied areas in Starr and Zapata counties near Rio Grande. These areas were decided because they have characteristics that are essential for the conservation of the species.

Currently, there are only 24 plant populations remaining in these counties, 19 of which are rated low, according to the Center for Biological Diversity, an organization that has pushed for conservation status.

Lactic acid is a vital host plant for monarch butterflies, feeding monarch larvae as they evolve into butterflies. They also provide large amounts of nectar to bees and tarantula hawks, according to the Center for Biological Diversity.

“I hope that endangering the endangered species law will preserve the flowering of the Milky Way in South Texas for generations to come,” said Michael Robinson, who represents the organization. “This fascinating plant has long secured a sunny spot in difficult landscapes, but is on the verge of extinction from human development. Federal action is vital.”

The proposed rule was published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, where people can submit comments until April 18.

Environmentalists have long pushed for the protection of dairy farmers under the Endangered Species Act. There was an application to declare the plant endangered in 2007 and 2009, USFWS “found that the petition provided important information that registration may be warranted.”

Protecting milk could also help bee conservation efforts.

In 2020, scientists concluded that Climate change is killing beesnoting that the probability of a bee population surviving in a single location in North America and Europe has been reduced by an average of 30% within a human generation.

In Texas, honey production and number of bee colonies declined last year, according to Texas A&M AgriLife expansion service. The massive winter storm that shook the state in 2021 delayed the flowering of wildflowers and killed bees, especially in South Texas, as they had not acclimatized to sudden freezing temperatures, the agency said. The lack of rain also contributed to the lack of food availability for the bees.

In:
• endangered species
• Mexico
• bees
• Texas
• Mexico – United States border