Monarch Butterfly NZ Trust

This photograph comes from England, where Don Wilkes has, amongst other Monarch butterflies in his butterfly house, a White Monarch.
They are excessively rare, caused by a recessive gene.
I’m told one is recorded every few years somewhere in the US (other than Hawaii, where it is found, but still rare).
According to Nigel Venters, Chip […]

approx 300-400 monarch over period three weeks in gum trees in papakowhai reserve same location same trees as sightings in 2007

Over the past month or so we have seen a number of monarch butterflies, day by day … up to 4 at a time … in the vicinity of (or on) the swan plants and / or the bottlebrush trees in our garden. On 30 March 2008 we found a dead butterfly with a tag […]

1x male hatched today

about 40-50 caterpillars on and around swan plants

flitting amongst tree branches

flitting from tree to tree

This photograph was sent by Bob in Blenheim.
This is Schellenberg’s soldier bug. /Oechalia schellenbergii /
It is in the same family as green vegetable bug. It’s considered useful by some as it attacks pest caterpillars on crops. It is termed native, also found in Australia.
Thanks to Leonie Clunie, Landcare Research, for […]

flying around grounds

We have our own plant and have had 13 hatch to date this summer with 30 or more caterpillars growing bigger by the day currently on the plant.