Search criteria

Long-tailed blue butterfly

Long-tailed blue butterfly

Long-tailed blue butterfly

This long-tailed blue butterfly (Lampides boeticus) is on flowering gorse. It lays its eggs in unopened gorse flower buds. When the larva hatches it eats much of the flower. The species was first observed in New Zealand in 1965. It is self-introduced so is considered native, and is also found in Europe, Africa, Asia, Australia and islands of the Pacific, including Hawaii.

About this item

Department of Conservation
Reference: 10042782
Photograph by George W. Gibbs

This item has been provided for private study purposes (such as school projects, family and local history research) and any published reproduction (print or electronic) may infringe copyright law. It is the responsibility of the user of any material to obtain clearance from the copyright holder.




In this story

 


More stories about...
Insects & Other Invertebrates

 


View Te Ara in