If a new proposal is adopted, the insects would become the most commonly seen species to be the subject of federal protection under this law

After a decade of advocacy, the species could now qualify for federal protections under the Endangered Species Act.

It’s a big day for insects. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Tuesday that it is proposing the monarch butterfly for threatened species status under the Endangered Species Act, a big step forward in a process set in motion in 2014 with a petition from conservationists.