Butterflies – Papilionidea
The true butterflies or Papilionidea are divided into five families, but only two families are native to New Zealand.
The white butterfly or cabbage white arrived in the 1930s which means that three families are now resident here. Attempts to control the cabbage white have had a detrimental effect on our native butterflies. In May 2010 a number of larvae of large white cabbage butterfly (Pieris brassicae) were found in Nelson. NZ Biosecurity introduced a campaign to exterminate the butterfly and at 2018 it would appear they were successful.
Yellow admirals: Terry Smithers (UK) put together this great document on breeding Yellow Admirals – the information would apply to red admirals too.
Notes: The terms endemic, native and introduced can be confusing – check out our glossary to understand the difference.
*Occasional visitors from Australia are listed with an asterisk.
| Nymphalidae – The Brush-Footed Butterflies | |||
| Common name | Maori name | Latin name | Hostplant |
| Monarch | kahuku and kakahu | Danaus plexippus | Milkweed (Asclepias and Gomphocarpus species) e.g. swan plant |
| Yellow Admiral | kahukōwhai | Vanessa itea SYN Bassaris itea | Nettles (Urtica spp) |
| Red admiral | kahukura | Vanessa gonerilla gonerilla SYN Bassaris gonerilla gonerilla | Urtica ferox, U. incisa, other nettles |
| Chatham Islands red admiral | kahukura | Vanessa gonerilla ida SYN Bassaris gonerilla ida | Urtica ferox, U. incisa, other nettles |
| Tussock ringlet (common tussock) | Argyrophenga antipodum | Tussocks (Chionochloa spp & Poa spp) | |
| Tussock butterfly (Harris’s tussock) |
Argyrophenga harrisi | Tussocks (Chionochloa spp & Poa spp) | |
| Tussock butterfly (Janita’s Tussock) |
Argyrophenga janitae | Tussocks (Chionochloa spp) | |
| Butler’s ringlet | Erebiola butleri | uncertain! | |
| Forest ringlet | pēpepe pōuri | Dodonidia helmsii | Sedges (Gahnia spp), tussocks (Chionochloa spp) |
| Black mountain ringlet | Percnodaimon merula | Blue tussock grass (Poa colensoi) | |
| *Australian painted lady | pepe para hua | Cynthia kershawi | Ammobium alatum |
| *Blue moon | – | Hypolimnas bolina nerina | |
| *Lesser wanderer | – | Danaus chrysippus petilia | Milkweed (Asclepias and Gomphocarpus species) e.g. swan plant |
| Lycaenidae – Blue & Copper butterflies | |||
| Common name | Maori name | Latin name | Hostplant |
| Common blue | pepe ao uri | Zizina labradus labradus | clovers (Trifolium spp), trefoils (Lotus spp.) |
| Southern blue | pepe ao uri | Zizina labradus oxleyi | clovers (Trifolium spp), trefoils (Lotus spp.) |
| Long-tailed blue | – | Lampides boeticus | broom, gorse |
| Common copper | pepe para riki | Lycaena salustius | Pohuehue (Muehlenbeckia spp). |
| Boulder copper | pepe para riki | Lycaena boldenarum | Creeping pohuehue (Muehlenbeckia axillaris) & Maori dock – Runa (Rumex flexuosus) |
| Glade copper | pepe para riki | Lycaena feredayi | Large-leafed pohuehue (Muehlenbeckia australis) |
| Rauparaha’s copper | mokarakare | Lycaena rauparaha | pohuehue (Muehlenbeckia spp) |
| Pieridae – white and sulphur butterflies | |||
| Common name | Maori name | Latin name | Hostplant |
| White SYN cabbage White | pepe ma | Pieris rapae | Brassicaceae or Cruciferae (Cabbage family) |
| Large white SYN ‘Great’ White | – | Pieris brassicae | Brassicaceae or Cruciferae (Cabbage family) |
All insect names checked with The Handbook of New Zealand Insect Names on 7/7/2010.
If in doubt about a scientific name, the MBNZT uses the NZ Organisms Register hosted by Landcare Research which can be found HERE.
