visits northland gardens in autumn
- Size
- Wingspan: 65-75 mm
- Lifespan
- 2-4 weeks
- Diet
- Caterpillars feed on milkweed (Gomphocarpus and Asclepias species). Adults feed on nectar from a range of flowering plants in warm sunny locations.
- Habitat
- Open areas gardens grasslands and coastal sites. Prefers warm sunny locations with milkweed host plants for breeding and nectar sources.
- Range
- Widespread in Africa Asia and Australia. Irregular visitor to New Zealand recorded occasionally in North Island during warm autumn periods.
- Endemism
- Visitor
- Main Threats
- Not established in New Zealand. Occasional individuals may be affected by pesticide use in gardens and agricultural areas where milkweed grows.
- Population
- Irregular visitor to New Zealand. Turns up when conditions line up. Not established. Recorded occasionally in North Island during warm weather.
- Conservation Status
- data_deficient
- Human Risk
- harmless
- Handling Note
- introduced butterfly, migratory species leave undisturbed
- Conservation Note
- Rare vagrant butterfly from Australia; not assessed for conservation status in New Zealand.
- Te Ao Māori
- Danaus chrysippus has no recognised Māori name. It is an irregular visitor to New Zealand not established in the country. It belongs to the same genus as the Monarch the kakahu. Its rare appearances are noted by butterfly enthusiasts who track its movements across the Pacific.
Irregular visitor. Turns up when conditions line up. Danaus chrysippus the Plain Tiger is a close relative of the Monarch. It is darker with orange-brown wings and black and white markings. It is tropical in origin found across Africa Asia and Australia. Occasionally it reaches New Zealand.
The wings are orange-brown with black veins and white spots on the black borders. The forewing tip is black with a white band. The caterpillar is striped feeding on milkweed. The pupa is green similar to the Monarch.
The Plain Tiger lives in warm tropical climates. It does not survive New Zealand winters. Individuals that arrive in summer may breed but the population does not persist.
In New Zealand the Plain Tiger is a rarity. A few records from the North Island usually in autumn after warm weather. Butterfly enthusiasts watch for it.
The name chrysippus refers to a figure in Greek mythology. The butterfly is named for its golden colour.
The Plain Tiger is not established in New Zealand. It is a migrant a stray a visitor. It reminds us that butterflies cross oceans.
This butterfly is a reminder. Some arrivals are temporary. They come breed die. They do not stay.
It is a ghost of the tropics. A flash of orange that should not be here. It appears on a warm day flitting among the flowers. Then it vanishes. The cold returns. The memory remains.
Butterfly watchers know the thrill of the unexpected. To see a Plain Tiger is to witness a miracle of navigation. It has flown thousands of kilometres. It has crossed the Tasman. It has found a patch of milkweed. It has laid its eggs. And then it has died.
The next generation will not survive the winter. But for a moment the garden is tropical. For a moment the rules are suspended. For a moment anything is possible.
The Plain Tiger does not care about our classifications. It does not care that it is a visitor. It does not care that it is data deficient. It cares about the sun. It cares about the nectar. It cares about the next generation.
And then it is gone. Leaving only a question. Will it return? Probably. But not today. Today it is elsewhere. Flying. Waiting. Watching. The ocean is wide. The wind is fickle. The butterfly is patient. It carries on.