Chasing the ever decreasing numbers of butterflies
On a mid summer day in the snow tussock grasslands of the rugged Lammermoor Range in Otago more than 40 years ago, butterfly scientist Brian Patrick made the most memorable discovery of his career. Six new species of native moths.
Despite more than 5,000 butterfly hunting expeditions the entomologist immediately recalls that day as the most special.
'Twenty third of February, 1983,' he says.
Butterfly scientist Brian Patrick holding a monarch butterfly he found. Photo: Alex Harmer/ RNZ
'My brother-in-law worked for the Ministry of Works hydrology department and he saw the wonderful snowbanks and wonderful herb fields and snow tussock grasslands of the Lammermoor Range, inland from Dunedin.'
The four-wheel drive up there was a revelation.
'They were just flying around in the daytime,' says Patrick, who has written a book with his son Hamish called Butterflies of the South Pacific.
He's been back to the Lammermoor Range 30 times since.
'There are lepidoptera that are hatching for the first time in the season right through in late April early May. We have a lot of early winter emerging lepidoptera in New Zealand across many different families of moths and butterflies.'
In contrast to that plentiful February day, Patrick says 2025 has been a 'poorer year than normal for all our moths and butterflies'.
'Whether it relates to temperature or environmental conditions or something else we don't know.'
He says it is not worrying. Yet.
'Climate and all those things are dynamic. We need to see a pattern. One year doesn't tell the story necessarily.'
But Jacqui Knight of Moths and Butterflies of New Zealand is worried that there's not one butterfly in her suburban Auckland garden.
That's partly because it is cold and wet but even in the trees in a nearby park where monarchs have overwintered in previous years none can be found.
Jacqui Knight from Moths and Butterflies of New Zealand in her garden. Photo: Sharon Brettkelly
She says there could be several factors behind the poor season, including exotic wasps and diseases.
'With all the people that are working towards saving the monarch in New Zealand by using butterfly houses and caterpillar castles to raise them and release them it's just incredible that the numbers are not increasing,' says Knight.
The monarch is not endemic to New Zealand but it is a native because it flew or blew here in the 1830s, she says. It is global, unlike Aotearoa's endemic species.
'Most of them, if they disappear, we will never get them back again. When a butterfly species in Britain is lost sometimes they've been able to go to other parts of Europe to find them. But New Zealand's lepodoptera species – that's butterflies and moths – 93 percent of them – only exist in New Zealand.
'We lose them, they're gone forever.'
Knight says there is a lot to learn about lepidoptera but it is a battle to raise funds for further research and raise awareness about the need to protect them.
Jacqui Knight from Moths and Butterflies of New Zealand uses a toothpick to place a small tracking sticker on a monarch butterfly. Photo: Sharon Brettkelly
'There's so many needs out there. That's the problem.'
Brian Patrick says there are many reasons we should care about our own butterflies and moths.
'Aesthetically I'm in love with them. I just love their form, their antics. But they pollinate our flowers,' he says. 'So econologically they are really integral to our environment, let alone our crops, the food we eat and everything from our flowers and our gardens and our lawns.
'But just the diversity of them is important enough. It lifts me and I'm sure it lifts lots of people to see the diversity of nature out there every day.'
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Chasing the ever decreasing numbers of butterflies
On a mid summer day in the snow tussock grasslands of the rugged Lammermoor Range in Otago more than 40 years ago, butterfly scientist Brian Patrick made the most memorable discovery of his career. Six new species of native moths. Despite more than 5,000 butterfly hunting expeditions the entomologist immediately recalls that day as the most special. 'Twenty third of February, 1983,' he says. Butterfly scientist Brian Patrick holding a monarch butterfly he found. Photo: Alex Harmer/ RNZ 'My brother-in-law worked for the Ministry of Works hydrology department and he saw the wonderful snowbanks and wonderful herb fields and snow tussock grasslands of the Lammermoor Range, inland from Dunedin.' The four-wheel drive up there was a revelation. 'They were just flying around in the daytime,' says Patrick, who has written a book with his son Hamish called Butterflies of the South Pacific. He's been back to the Lammermoor Range 30 times since. 'There are lepidoptera that are hatching for the first time in the season right through in late April early May. We have a lot of early winter emerging lepidoptera in New Zealand across many different families of moths and butterflies.' In contrast to that plentiful February day, Patrick says 2025 has been a 'poorer year than normal for all our moths and butterflies'. 'Whether it relates to temperature or environmental conditions or something else we don't know.' He says it is not worrying. Yet. 'Climate and all those things are dynamic. We need to see a pattern. One year doesn't tell the story necessarily.' But Jacqui Knight of Moths and Butterflies of New Zealand is worried that there's not one butterfly in her suburban Auckland garden. That's partly because it is cold and wet but even in the trees in a nearby park where monarchs have overwintered in previous years none can be found. Jacqui Knight from Moths and Butterflies of New Zealand in her garden. Photo: Sharon Brettkelly She says there could be several factors behind the poor season, including exotic wasps and diseases. 'With all the people that are working towards saving the monarch in New Zealand by using butterfly houses and caterpillar castles to raise them and release them it's just incredible that the numbers are not increasing,' says Knight. The monarch is not endemic to New Zealand but it is a native because it flew or blew here in the 1830s, she says. It is global, unlike Aotearoa's endemic species. 'Most of them, if they disappear, we will never get them back again. When a butterfly species in Britain is lost sometimes they've been able to go to other parts of Europe to find them. But New Zealand's lepodoptera species – that's butterflies and moths – 93 percent of them – only exist in New Zealand. 'We lose them, they're gone forever.' Knight says there is a lot to learn about lepidoptera but it is a battle to raise funds for further research and raise awareness about the need to protect them. Jacqui Knight from Moths and Butterflies of New Zealand uses a toothpick to place a small tracking sticker on a monarch butterfly. Photo: Sharon Brettkelly 'There's so many needs out there. That's the problem.' Brian Patrick says there are many reasons we should care about our own butterflies and moths. 'Aesthetically I'm in love with them. I just love their form, their antics. But they pollinate our flowers,' he says. 'So econologically they are really integral to our environment, let alone our crops, the food we eat and everything from our flowers and our gardens and our lawns. 'But just the diversity of them is important enough. It lifts me and I'm sure it lifts lots of people to see the diversity of nature out there every day.' Check out how to listen to and follow The Detail here. You can also stay up-to-date by liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter.
