New Zealand red admiral
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| Vanessa gonerilla (Fabricius, 1775) |
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V. g. gonerilla |
The New Zealand red admiral, Vanessa gonerilla syn. Bassaris 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.
Ongaonga, Urtica ferox is the main food plant for red admiral larvae. The larvae can also eat other Urtica species.
Red admirals occur most frequently during summer and may live for several months. The adults feed on nectar from various plant species.
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.
Red admirals are relatively common throughout New Zealand where their food plants occur.
