This is the first in my series exploring the species featured in my 2024 calendar, Wildlife of East Otago.
When it comes to self-directed creative work, I find it helpful to give myself a framework. This might come in the form of a project (like a book or exhibition) or a regular schedule - like this Weekly Wildlife newsletter! 🐛
So for the next twelve weeks I’ll be sharing the stories of each of the featured animals in my 2024 calendar, starting with January’s feature which could be called our most mysterious pūrerehua (butterfly): the copper, also known as pepe papa riki.
This photo was taken near Nenthorn Conservation Area, where I was lucky enough to visit with my local camera club earlier this year. I had just bought a new camera, which I hoped would be a help with photographing wildlife. It’s a mirrorless camera, which means I can get much faster shutter speeds (for taking photos of birds in flight, for example) and shoot with a silent shutter so the click wouldn’t scare subjects away. Being able to take this photo was confirmation that the new camera was well worth the price tag!
Unfortunately, I can’t identify which species of copper butterfly it actually is - but not for lack of trying. This is where the mystery comes in.
The copper butterflies (genus Lycaena) are found around the world, but all of the ones found in Aotearoa are only found here. It’s the largest group of butterflies we have but there are currently only four species identified.1
There could be many more and we risk losing them before we even really get to know them. There’s also the added complication that without officially identifying them (and therefore getting an official threat classification) they can’t get the conservation aid that comes with it.
In the graph below, you’ll see that there are very few lepidoptera that are officially Not Threatened. You may also notice that the bars only add up to about 200 species - but there are over possibly 2,000 species of moths and butterflies in Aotearoa!
In theory, coppers are found throughout Aotearoa. Because kahuku (monarch) butterflies are so much more well known, they are sometimes thought to be ‘small monarchs’. So, if you ever spot a bright orange butterfly, not much bigger than a $2 coin, it’s probably a copper.
Their main host plant is pōhuehue (muehlenbeckia), which was my weekly wildlife feature a couple of months ago after finding Muehlenbeckia australis self-seeded in our garden. Since then, I’ve seen great clumps of these on back roads not far from my place so will re-visit them this summer. I’ve also learned that pepe papa riki can lay eggs on Rumex species, which include dock and sorrel.2
There’s a project by the Moths & Butterflies NZ Trust to fundraise for this research to happen: The Butterfly Discovery Project. It’s a big project but our lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) are terribly understudied and it would be tragic to lose these unique pūrerehua just because we couldn’t get our act together to identify them, wouldn’t it?
The best time to spot them is November - February, so this summer keep a keen eye out for our little coppers, and see if you can spot the variations in the intricate wing patterns and colour gradations. You could even add some pōhuehue to your garden.
Have a lovely day,
Zenobia x
If you’d like to support my work & receive the monthly magazine, join with a monthly or annual subscription. Group discounts and gift subscriptions are also available.
https://www.nzbutterflies.org.nz/project/butterfly-discovery-project/
https://www.landcareresearch.co.nz/tools-and-resources/identification/what-is-this-bug/copper-butterfly/
These pictures are absolutely gorgeous. Thank you for doing the research and sharing the findings with us :)