The Flights of the Monarch Butterfly: Between In Situ and Ex Situ Conservation

Abstract

For several decades, conservation biologists seeking to prevent the extinction of rare species have invoked a distinction between conservation ‘in the wild’ (in situ) and conservation in captivity (ex situ). They prefer the former because it maintains the species in a ‘natural’ state rather than one ‘contaminated’ by human culture. Drawing on long-standing critiques of the nature-culture dichotomy, however, several critics have recently challenged the in situ/ex situ dichotomy on the grounds that it is both theoretically and practically untenable. Here, we extend these critiques through a case study of the Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus), an iconic and beautiful species that summers in Canada and the U.S. and winters in southern California and Mexico. This case not only demonstrates several ways that in situ and ex situ conservation interweave, but necessitates further reconsideration in the face of climate change (specifically in terms of the question of assisted migration ). Through this case study, we unveil several ecological complexities that further emphasize the need for thinking across the in situ/ex situ divide.