Not sure about posting this contest here... but here goes - link is on linktr.ee/mbnzt

Link to our contest:

linktr.ee/mbnzt

Today it's Heliotrope. Deep purple, fragrant flowers rich in nectar, a major drawcard for butterflies and pollinators. Low, spreading growth, beautiful, lush, dark green-burgundy foliage.

#YatesNZ #butterfliesneednectar #mbnzt

We've been a bit busy in Wellington 🙂 so haven't been able to post about our fantastic new contest.

You can see what we've been doing:

tinyurl.com/GovHNZ4MB

And even better, enter our contest for
Yates NZ National Gardening Week, full details here:

www.facebook.com/reel/1351760...

Please SHARE

This is a tiny little copper butterfly, Lycaena species, only found in NZ! But which one? Thanks to a grant from Canon Oceania we will be closer to identifying exactly what species it is! #MBNZT #CanonANZ #ButterflyDiscoveryProject

More information here: www.nzbutterflies.org.nz/project/butt...

For Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori we are sharing a few whakataukī (proverbs) with you... so why not follow us and learn a little Te Reo?

Mā te huruhuru ka rere te manu, translated is "adorn the bird with feathers so it may fly". Plant for butterflies is planting for the future!

#TeWikioteReoMāori

Online Course - Moths and Butterflies of New Zealand Trust It’s amazing how much we THOUGHT we knew about butterflies and moths, but we’re always learning. These are questions often asked by new members who come to our

To help butterflies and moths this summer, NOW is a great time to do our two-hour Online Course.

It will give you lots of ideas how to help our beautiful butterflies. Check it out here:

www.nzbutterflies.org.nz/product/online-course/

#mbnzt #conservationweek2025 #conservationweek @docgovtnz

A great time to plant your swan plant seeds. If you can find somewhere warm to start them, you’ll get a headstart on the seedlings that will come up later in the garden. There’s plenty of tutorials and advice on our website. Plants will be available in stores soon too!

Everyone can learn the simple basics of ecosysems just by planting a swan plant. The wonder of metamorphosis is a miracle! www.nzbutterflies.org.nz/about-us/faqs/ #mbnzt #conservationweek2025 #conservationweek @docgovtnz

Muehlenbeckia is a quick growing plant that supports many NZ Lepidoptera! If you're trimming it, plant those cuttings! #mbnzt #conservationweek2025 #conservationweek @docgovtnz

It's so good to see people utilising native nettles in their gardens and conservation projects. Not only is it teh host for our beautiful admiral species BUT there are TEN other native Lepidoptera species which rely on this plant to breed! #mbnzt #conservationweek2025 #conservationweek @docgovtnz

For butterfly-loving Kiwis, would you like to WIN this Conservation Week, things for your garden? Please COMMENT below, SHARE on your BlueSKy account, tell us what you are doing for Conservation Week. We'll all learn from what you're doing... and it will all be good for our beautiful biodiversity.

Conservation Week in NZ begins tomorrow. Follow our social media to see what our wonderful volunteers have scheduled for YOU to take action for nature, for the good of our Lepidoptera. PS There's even incentives for those who share what they've been doing for our Lepidoptera!

linktr.ee/mbnzt

✨ Mānawatia a Matariki! ✨🦋
Celebrate Matariki and reflect on the beauty and uniqueness of Aotearoa.🐛🦋 Just like the stars they guide us to value and care for small wonders around us. 🌿🌠
Protect what’s rare, cherish what’s ours!
#Matariki2025 #NZButterflies #ConservationNZ #butterflies #moths

This is the beautiful chocolate royal, moderately rare now in Singapore. We can take many suggestions from what they're doing in Singapore to protect their butterflies, moths, and other pollinators to improve conditions for our own.
Read more here:
www.msn.com/en-us/lifest...

#pollinators #mbnzt

It's National Primary Science Week! Check out our monarch tagging project and some other butterfly science projects as a way to engage kids in STEM learning!
www.nzbutterflies.org.nz/project/tagg...

From caterpillar to butterfly: youtu.be/SzGZHKaf5IE

The floating butterfly: youtu.be/SzGZHKaf5IE

Two more tagged monarchs were spotted on May 3 by Kathy Reid in Redwood Park, Christchurch!
The first one (WAC413) was tagged by June on 13 February in Redwood, about 1.4 km. The other, (WAA715) was tagged on 4 March by Diane in Casebrook (1.9 km away). Both are males.

In the past MBNZT and our financial supporters ran a campaign to educate growers and garden centres that people wanted to buy caterpillar friendly swan plants untouched by pesticides. Become a financial member before April 30th and help support similar initiatives!

Just like you we’re seriously concerned about what’s happening to NZ’s monarch butterflies.

This season we are tagging and keeping a record of where and when they’re seen again.

We’d love to have you involved:
www.nzbutterflies.org.nz/project/tagging/

Spotted by a visitor on the Routeburn Track, this photo appeared in our free e-news.

"It's an orange-underwing, Paranotoreas zopyra, a widespread montane to alpine day-flying geometrid (moth) of our South Island mountains" said Brian Patrick.

Learn more here:
inaturalist.ca/.../394448.....

Last century everyone around the country knew the red admiral, kahukura, endemic to NZ. But recently it had disappeared from Auckland. That’s why our financial members have helped to bring it back!

Learn more:
www.nzbutterflies.org.nz/project/red-admiral-project/

Butterfly gardens encourage children to ask questions and think critically about the world around them. Become a financial member by April 31st and help support our educational projects!!

Autumn Action!
For only $40 a year you can make an important contribution to our conservation and educational projects, and receive our quarterly magazine! Join by April 31st to get the chance to be entered into our giveaway for financial members.
Please join here: nzbutterflies.org.nz/members/join/

Earth day is approaching 🌏… 4 days left!

Join us at Eco Fest on April 22 in Blockhouse Bay! We have face painting, seed bomb making, caterpillar pencils, and more for the whole family!

Learn more about ways to earn prizes as well at this link: www.nz butterflies.org.nz/ecofest-2025-jacqui-knight/

🦋How is Tam affecting our butterflies? 👉 mailchi.mp/nzbutterflie...

Similar to the monarch butterfly, the painted lady (Vanessa cardui) migrates huge distances from Africa to Europe each year, over numerous generations. You can read more about their amazing migration here:

www.npr.org/sections/the...

(Photo, thanks Wikipedia).

Cuttings - Moths and Butterflies of New Zealand Trust Here are the cuttings (and prices) which we can provide on a seasonal basis. Please sign up for our free e-news to be advised of dates available. PLEASE NOTE TH

It's time for our Autumn Cuttings Sale! Please check out the information on the website and make your orders by following the instructions: www.nzbutterflies.org.nz/product/cutt...

#nzbutterflies #gardening #butterflygardening #monarchbutterflies

We have once again teamed up with our friends at Kohab NZ to celebrate the launch of our brand new Kohab Branch - ideal for feeding your garden butterflies.
Head over to our facebook page to get more details on how to enter and get the chance to win a prize pack valued at $75!
Drawing on March 31!

Check out this report published today in The Guardian by Jaap De Roode, biologist at the US's Emory College of Arts and Sciences. A super interesting read about the ecology and evolution of parasites that attack the monarch butterfly:
www.theguardian.com/science/2025...

Radio New Zealand (National Radio), Jim Mora, "Sunday Morning", 23 March 2025.

Did you notice a lack of monarchs this past summer? Check out Jacqui's conversation with Jim Mora to learn more about the issue and see what you can do to help! 👉
www.rnz.co.nz/national/pro...

#monarch #monarchbutterfly