New Zealand Red Admiral (Vanessa gonerilla)

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Photo by Lily

Published on Project Noah

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-41.2568, 174.865

Field Notes

Description:

This is a picture I took a couple of years ago during a trip to Matiu/Somes Island . The butterfly intrigued me because the only other butterflies I've seen in the city before have been Monarch butterflies and I could tell by the blue eye spots on this butterfly's wings that it wasn't one. The butterfly has since been identified by a helpful commenter as a New Zealand Red Admiral.

Habitat:

Red Admirals are fairly common throughout New Zealand wherever their food plants are found.

Notes:

The Red Admirals main food plants include:
Perennial Nettle (Urtica dioica)
Onga Onga (Urtica ferox)
Although they will eat any kind of nettle, adults also eat nectar as shown in the photo above.

Reference Links:

New Zealand red admiral, Butterflies of New Zealand - Vanessa gonerilla

Species ID Suggestions