New Zealand Red Admiral
Encyclopedia
The New Zealand Red Admiral (Vanessa gonerilla) is a butterfly
that is endemic
to New Zealand
. The Māori name is kahukura which means red cloak. The Red Admiral is a member of the family Nymphalidae
, the sub-family Nymphalinae
as well as the tribe Nymphalini
.
There are two sub-species of Vanessa gonerilla, V. g. gonerilla, which occurs on the mainland of New Zealand, and V. g. ida, which occurs on the Chatham Islands
.
When revealed, the underside of the fore wings display a striking blue eyespot bracketed by white and red arcs.
the larvae only eats enough of the egg shell to get out, whereas the yellow admiral will consume the whole shell .
s). For about 10 days they have a brown body with small white spots and fine hairs (setae). At about 2.5mm they moult and during this stage develop a pale stripe along the body just above the legs. The setae start to develop spikes, usually two or more at this stage. At about 5mm long they moult again and the pale longitudinal lines become more obvious. At about 10mm they moult once more, and the setae develop more spikes. The last moult is at about 22mm, from where they grow to about 36mm before pupating..
Ongaonga
, Urtica ferox is the main food plant for Red Admiral larva
e. The larvae can also eat other Urtica species.
Throughout their life they use the leaf to protect them during the day, by rolling the edge around them, or (as they get bigger) folding the leaf over into a 'tent'
The pupa is about 20mm long.
It is difficult to distinguish between Red Admiral and Yellow Admiral caterpillars. Caterpillars on the Tree Nettle (Ongaonga) (Urtica ferox) are more likely to be Red Admirals than Yellow Admirals. Looking at the 4th and 6th body segments, the Yellow Admiral has a wider light coloured area than the Red Admiral. When compared side by side it may be noted that the pupae of the Red Admiral tends to be thinner and longer than that Yellow Admiral, but otherwise they are very difficult to tell apart.
Butterfly
A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect of the order Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths. Like other holometabolous insects, the butterfly's life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult. Most species are diurnal. Butterflies have large, often brightly coloured...
that is endemic
Endemic (ecology)
Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...
to New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. The Māori name is kahukura which means red cloak. The Red Admiral is a member of the family Nymphalidae
Nymphalidae
The Nymphalidae is a family of about 5,000 species of butterflies which are distributed throughout most of the world. These are usually medium sized to large butterflies. Most species have a reduced pair of forelegs and many hold their colourful wings flat when resting. They are also called...
, the sub-family Nymphalinae
Nymphalinae
Nymphalinae is a subfamily of brush-footed butterflies . Sometimes, the Limenitidinae are included here as further tribe, while the Melitaeini are occasionally considered a distinct subfamily.- Systematics:...
as well as the tribe Nymphalini
Nymphalini
Nymphalini is a tribe of nymphalid brush-footed butterflies. Common names include admirals, anglewings, commas, and tortoiseshells, but neither of these is specific to one particular genus....
.
There are two sub-species of Vanessa gonerilla, V. g. gonerilla, which occurs on the mainland of New Zealand, and V. g. ida, which occurs on the Chatham Islands
Chatham Islands
The Chatham Islands are an archipelago and New Zealand territory in the Pacific Ocean consisting of about ten islands within a radius, the largest of which are Chatham Island and Pitt Island. Their name in the indigenous language, Moriori, means Misty Sun...
.
Description
A medium sized butterfly with a 50–60mm wingspan . The top side of the forewings is basically black with a central bright red bar running back from the front edge. There are white spots, fringed with light blue, near the tips. The rear wings are more a dark reddy brown with a red area containing four black circles. The centre of each circle is pale blue. The underside of the rear wings is a mottled collection of shapes and white/brown/black colours – very camouflaged when at rest.When revealed, the underside of the fore wings display a striking blue eyespot bracketed by white and red arcs.
Distribution and habitat
Red Admirals are relatively common throughout New Zealand where their food plants occur.Eggs
The green coloured, barrel shaped, ribbed, eggs are generally laid singly on a nettle leaf. Unlike the close relative yellow admiralYellow admiral
The Yellow or Australian Admiral is a butterfly native to Australia, New Zealand, Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands. The Māori name is kahukowhai, which means "yellow cloak"...
the larvae only eats enough of the egg shell to get out, whereas the yellow admiral will consume the whole shell .
Larva
The larvae go through 5 growth stages (called instarInstar
An instar is a developmental stage of arthropods, such as insects, between each molt , until sexual maturity is reached. Arthropods must shed the exoskeleton in order to grow or assume a new form. Differences between instars can often be seen in altered body proportions, colors, patterns, or...
s). For about 10 days they have a brown body with small white spots and fine hairs (setae). At about 2.5mm they moult and during this stage develop a pale stripe along the body just above the legs. The setae start to develop spikes, usually two or more at this stage. At about 5mm long they moult again and the pale longitudinal lines become more obvious. At about 10mm they moult once more, and the setae develop more spikes. The last moult is at about 22mm, from where they grow to about 36mm before pupating..
Ongaonga
Ongaonga (tree)
Urtica ferox, commonly known as Ongaonga, is a nettle that is endemic to New Zealand. Sometimes known as the 'tree nettle', ongaonga has woody stems and unusually large stinging spines, and can grow 5 metres tall...
, Urtica ferox is the main food plant for Red Admiral larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e. The larvae can also eat other Urtica species.
Throughout their life they use the leaf to protect them during the day, by rolling the edge around them, or (as they get bigger) folding the leaf over into a 'tent'
The pupa is about 20mm long.
It is difficult to distinguish between Red Admiral and Yellow Admiral caterpillars. Caterpillars on the Tree Nettle (Ongaonga) (Urtica ferox) are more likely to be Red Admirals than Yellow Admirals. Looking at the 4th and 6th body segments, the Yellow Admiral has a wider light coloured area than the Red Admiral. When compared side by side it may be noted that the pupae of the Red Admiral tends to be thinner and longer than that Yellow Admiral, but otherwise they are very difficult to tell apart.