[flowersoldier]

I've noticed a decline in Monarchs here in Northern California as well. The very few I do see are colored differently than when I was a kid. They used to be a deep orange hue, but now they are all a pasty yellow color. At first I thought it was a different species. I've mentioned it to other people, but they don't really care. They're more interested in upgrading their cell phone or checking their instabook.

[vivekd]

The monarch population is actually declining to dangerous levels. Scientists believe this is due to the decline of the milkweed plant which is the monarch's main source of food.