visits the manuka blooms on sunny days

Size
Length: 3–8 mm, Weight: 0.05–0.1 g
Lifespan
1–2 years
Diet
Adults feed on nectar and pollen. Larvae are predatory feeding on small insects and mites.
Habitat
Sunny-day residents of New Zealand's flowering shrubs and alpine meadows. Most active when manuka and daisy-bushes are in full bloom.
Range
Found throughout the North and South Islands in native forests, scrublands, and gardens where manuka, kanuka, and daisy-bushes grow. Most common in warm, lowland areas with abundant flowering plants.
Endemism
Endemic
Main Threats
Habitat loss from forest clearance and removal of manuka and kanuka. Pesticide use in gardens kills adults. Competition from introduced flower beetle species.
Population
Common throughout both islands. They are one of the most frequent visitors to native flowers, often seen covered in a dusting of yellow pollen as they move between plants.
Conservation Status
Not Threatened
Human Risk
harmless
Handling Note
native flower beetle, pollinator role leave undisturbed
Conservation Note
Endemic beetle; not assessed by NZTCS as invertebrates are generally outside the scope of current threat classifications.
Te Ao Māori
The soft-winged flower beetle represents the principle of adaptable elegance and serves as a symbol of the gentle pollinators within the natural heritage of New Zealand. Known for their summer drifting they occupy a cultural niche as a colourful presence that brings a touch of brilliance to the scrublands. They embody the idea that lightness is a valid survival strategy in a world of heavy armour. Culturally they remind us to value the dual life of the bush suggesting that our own growth often requires moving from the shadows into the light.
Operating as the bohemian of the New Zealand beetle world this insect is defined by an anatomy of adaptable elegance. Unlike the rigid armoured elytra of most coleopterans their wing covers are surprisingly flexible and soft to the touch. These summer drifters utilise striking aposematic colouration often shimmering in metallic shades of green blue or vibrant orange to signal a bitter chemical defence to potential predators. As adults they function as nectar-junkies playing a foundational role in the pollination of indigenous flora. This dual life strategy represents a stark transition from a youth spent in the predatory shadows of the leaf litter to an adulthood lived in the bright sugary sun of the canopy. The larval stage of the soft-winged flower beetle signals undercover assassination within the soil. These highly mobile elongated larvae are voracious hunters of small insects and other soil-dwelling grubs representing the hidden industry that sustains the forest floor. They embody the idea that true resilience is a matter of mastering two entirely different worlds: the dark high-protein labyrinth of the humus and the luminous nectar-rich arena of the flower. This existence is a masterclass in floral connectivity where the beetle's reproductive success is inextricably linked to the health of the scrublands. Their presence indicates pollination integrity proving that the forest is busy with the vital work of setting seeds for the next season. While currently classified as not threatened soft-winged flower beetles are essential participants in the energy cycles of our coastal and alpine margins. Protecting these gentle pollinators means acknowledging the adaptable elegance required to navigate both the soil and the sky. They serve as a primary indicator of summer brilliance proving that even the most flexible resident can be a formidable guardian of the forest's future. To encounter a metallic green beetle dusted with pollen on a manuka flower is to witness a survivor that has mastered the art of the dual life a creature that proves that beauty and utility are often found in the same soft-winged package.