flits low over the sunny grassland edges
- Size
- Wingspan: 20-25 mm
- Lifespan
- 2-4 weeks.
- Diet
- Caterpillars feed on legumes (Fabaceae), including clovers (Trifolium species). Adults feed on nectar from small flowers.
- Habitat
- Grasslands, fields, gardens, roadsides, and disturbed areas. Prefers open, sunny habitats with low vegetation and leguminous host plants.
- Range
- Endemic to New Zealand. Found throughout the North Island, South Island, and Stewart Island, from sea level to subalpine zones.
- Endemism
- Native
- Main Threats
- No significant threats. Widespread and adaptable.
- Population
- Common and widespread throughout New Zealand. Often abundant in suitable habitat. Not threatened.
- Conservation Status
- data_deficient
- Human Risk
- harmless
- Handling Note
- introduced butterfly, common garden visitor leave undisturbed
- Conservation Note
- Native butterfly; data insufficient for full threat classification, not formally assessed by NZTCS.
- Te Ao Māori
- Zizina oxleyi has no recognised Māori name. It was likely known as a small blue butterfly that visits clover flowers. Its caterpillars feed on introduced legumes. Which may have arrived with European settlement. The butterfly may be a recent arrival or a native that switched hosts.
Molecular work defined it. Small, widespread, often overlooked. Quietly everywhere once you notice it. Zizina oxleyi, the Common Blue, is one of New Zealand's most frequently encountered butterflies. It flies low. Close to the ground. A tiny flash of blue in the grass. The males are bright blue above. The females are brown with a blue sheen.
The wingspan is small. Barely two centimetres. The underside is pale grey with small dark spots. The caterpillars feed on clovers and other legumes. The pupa is brown. Attached to a grass stem. The adults fly from spring to autumn.
The Common Blue lives almost everywhere. Grasslands. Fields. Gardens. Roadsides. Disturbed ground. It follows its host plants. It goes where people go.
The species is endemic to New Zealand. It was once considered the same as the Australian Common Blue. Molecular work showed it is distinct. It belongs here.
The name Zizina is from a Greek word for a type of butterfly. Oxleyi honours someone. The butterfly does not care.
The Common Blue is not threatened. It is adaptable. It is widespread. It is common.
This butterfly is a reminder. Not all butterflies are rare. Some are everywhere. They are no less beautiful for being common.