July 21 (UPI) -- The migratory monarch butterfly fluttered its orange-and-black wings closer to extinction Thursday, joining for the first time an alarming "red list" of endangered creatures.
The dire classification by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature means the beloved insect's population has declined so dramatically, it is now only two steps away from vanishing entirely.
At greatest risk are the western monarch butterflies, whose numbers have plummeted by an estimated 99.9 percent since the 1980s, from 10 million to as few as 1,914 this year.
"It is difficult to watch monarch butterflies and their extraordinary migration teeter on the edge of collapse, but there are signs of hope," Anna Walker, who led IUCN's monarch butterfly assessment, said in a statement.
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"So many people and organizations have come together to try and protect this butterfly and its habitats," said Walker, who works as a species survival officer at the New Mexico BioPark Society.
"From planting native milkweed and reducing pesticide use to supporting the protection of overwintering sites and contributing to community science, we all have a role to play in making sure this iconic insect makes a full recovery," she said.
Experts say monarchs are losing the fight for adequate shelter in Mexico and California, where their habitat continues to be destroyed to make way for logging, agriculture and urban development.
Pesticides and herbicides used in agriculture are also to blame, as they kill butterflies and milkweed, the only plant that larvae can eat.
Millions of butterflies have also been killed by severe weather and the rise of catastrophic wildfires and temperature extremes as climate change affects habitats where the insects live.
"It's been so sad to watch their numbers decline so much, so anything that might help them makes me happy, and I think that this designation might help them," UW-Madison Professor Karen Oberhauser told The New York Times.
"Although it's sad that they need that help, that they've reached the point where this designation is warranted."
IUCN Director General Bruno Oberle said there is much work to be done to change the current picture.
"To preserve the rich diversity of nature we need effective, fairly governed protected and conserved areas, alongside decisive action to tackle climate change and restore ecosystems," Oberle said in a statement. "In turn, conserving biodiversity supports communities by providing essential services such as food, water and sustainable jobs."
