[BjornM]

Hey guys wondering at some point will anyone have any vanessa gonerilla and vanessa itea larvae or eggs to share?

ive got host plants for both species but have struggled to get any butterflies in my area in the last couple of years in auckland.
Did breed itea a couple years ago and let many go in hope they may stick around for years to come but they never returned the year after and i have had no luck since.

If anyone can help out that would be much appreciated

[JuliaTuineau]

Hi Bjorn and all
I see this page of the Forum has been quiet – I hope that doesn’t mean that no-one in Auckland has Admirals in 2016/17.
I have flourishing English nettles, and spotted a Yellow Admiral nearby, once, in December, but no caterpillars apparently.
As Jaqui says the wasp threat is over for the year, I am eager to introduce eggs or cats to my nettle patch before the cold weather arrives.
Has anyone in Auckland some spares????
Julia, in Mangere.

[Anna]

I’m in the Nelson/Tasman area and have seen Red and yellow Admiral butterflies amongst my nettles in the last few days, so have my fingers crossed that some may have laid fertile eggs.

[Riroriro]

Hi BjornM and all. I’m in Grey Lynn in Auckland and I’ve captive bred V. itea and a (very) few gonerilla over the last 7 years and have kept a record of every successful release of an adult butterfly since June 2010. Apart from a small surge in April, 2015 was the worst year by a long stretch with just over 100 successful releases. Other years have hit an average of about 500. January has been sparse in the past but this year.. ZERO so far. No females visiting and laying here. Maybe it’s a natural anomaly. Waiting in hope that things will kick off again soon.
Has anybody else noticed this?

[BjornM]

Thanks anna more than happy to pay for packaging and post , i have alot of potted nettle currently inside , and will soon be setting up a large outdoor flight area for adults to live and breed in, thats netted of to keep them away from wasps 🙂

heres my contact email bjorn0622@gmail.com

[Anna]

I have lots of little Red and Yellow Admirals and am willing to post them as long as you pay me for the post and packaging. They really need to be raised indoors or under some sort of protection. You can get my contact details from Jacqui. Need to be quick though as the wasps are harvesting them from my outside nettles.

[BjornM]

Thank for the tips , ill check out both those parks in the coming weeks , i also herd there were gonerilla in oratia last summer , anyone know of any auckland sightings in the last year?

[Jacqui]

You can often find yellow admiral larvae in Cornwall Park – is that too far away for you? Or at Amberley Park in Mangere.

[BjornM]

Yes the amount of paper wasps and the lack of nettles seems to be the issue , populations in Auckland must be pretty isolated now I’m guessing

I’m in west Auckland 🙂

[clinton9]

Hi Bjorn,
I had same problem as you, I used to had both Yellow & Red Admiral butterflies caterpillars feeding on my European nettles, in 2000s and few years ago. Chinese Paper wasps were main causes of too few butterflies in northern North Island.

Clinton.

[Jacqui]

What part of Auckland are you in, Bjorn?

[Author]

Replies