The monarch butterfly population continues to shrink due to factors such as climate change. People working to help the species say proposed federal protections could boost existing efforts.

Captive-raising monarchs in cages also puts the butterflies at risk. The OE parasite can reach very high levels in indoor butterfly houses. And captive-raised butterflies often are too stunted to migrate, probably because they are weakened by heavy parasitic infections and questionable genetics.

A rare tiny butterfly found only in a remote stretch of Northern Nevada will soon gain federal protections under the Endangered Species Act. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Tuesday that the bleached sandhill skipper,