Hey Allen, this looks great! I might like a tighter crop but that's just me.
The BG looks a bit noisy but maybe that's just due to compression.
Where did you hear that the Monarch numbers are low this year? I've seen more than normal this summer. We saw some decent numbers during the Jackson count today and found one small milkweed bush with 45 Monarch caterpillars feeding on it! I've never seen anything like it!
Lovely! I like how the orange BG color is similar to the color of the Monarch. Great composition, light, color. Beautiful work. I seem to have lots of Monarchs here in southeast Pennsylvania.
I wouldn't crop a pixel from this lovely BG! You might take another look at the magenta on the flower and see if that can be toned down a bit without making it go flat. Your monarch is outstanding IMO - good clarity and details and a great pose!