| Honshu White Admiral | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Nymphalidae |
| Genus: | Limenitis |
| Species: | L. glorifica |
| Binomial name | |
| Limenitis glorifica Fruhstorfer, 1909 | |
Limenitis glorifica, the Honshu white admiral, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. L. glorifica is endemic to the island of Honshu, in Japan, where it is found in temperate open or shrubland habitats.
The caterpillar of the Limenitis glorifica hatches from single, pale yellow eggs and is green in colour, often with strange brown spikes sticking up across its body. [1] The adult (imago) butterfly is black, with silvery-white stripes across the top of the wings, and reddish-brown colouring on the underside of the wings. [2] Limenitis glorifica belongs to the family Nymphalidae which has reduced front legs that lack claws and are often held against the body, and which are not used for walking. [3] There is no difference in appearance between the males and females of the species, and the wingspan is usually around 60 mm. [4]
Limenitis glorifica is endemic to the island of Honshu, Japan. [4]
Limenitis glorifica was first brought into New Zealand in 2010, where it was released into the Waikato region [4] . Since being released, the butterfly has established in Karangahake and has been sighted in Tairua, Te Aroha and Waihi Beach [4] .
Limenitis glorifica lays eggs almost exclusively on Japanese honeysuckle ( Lonicera japonica ). In New Zealand, Japanese honeysuckle has established well in a variety of habitats including scrub, forest margins, wetlands, clearings, and pastures [5] and is considered an invasive species. [6]
Limenitis glorifica lays a single pale yellow egg on the underside of a leaf of Lonicera japonica. Eggs hatch after approximately seven days and the larvae grows for around 28 days, with some caterpillars overwintering if light levels decrease to less than 13-14 daylight hours per day. [2] [7] After 28 days, the larvae form a greenish-brown pupa before adult (imago) butterflies emerge after roughly one week. [7] Adults live for up to a month after hatching from their pupa. [7]
Limenitis glorifica feed on Lonicera japonica . [4] Caterpillars consume a mean of 2.13 grams or 5.6 honeysuckle leaves in its larva stage. [1] In New Zealand, Limenitis glorifica has also been known to feed on Himalayan honeysuckle ( Leycesteria formosa), which is another invasive weed in New Zealand. [4] However, other honeysuckles studied in Japan have shown little damage from feeding caterpillars. [4]
These butterflies may come under attack from invasive social wasps that could limit their population growth. [4]
Limenitis glorifica is endemic to the island of Honshu, Japan, but was released in New Zealand to act as a biocontrol for the invasive Lonicera japonica. [4] The butterfly was first introduced in the Waikato region in 2014 to act as a biocontrol agent, however, it failed to establish at other release sites including a site in Auckland. [8]
Honeysuckles are arching shrubs or twining vines in the genus Lonicera of the family Caprifoliaceae. It includes 158 species native to northern latitudes in North America, Eurasia, and North Africa. Widely known species include Lonicera periclymenum, Lonicera japonica and Lonicera sempervirens. L. japonica is a highly invasive species considered a significant pest in parts of North America, Europe, South America, Australia, and Africa.
Lonicera japonica, known as Japanese honeysuckle and golden-and-silver honeysuckle, is a species of honeysuckle native to East Asia, including many parts of China. It is often grown as an ornamental plant, but has become an invasive species in a number of countries. Japanese honeysuckle is used in traditional Chinese medicine.
The viceroy is a North American butterfly. It was long thought to be a Batesian mimic of the monarch butterfly, but since the viceroy is also distasteful to predators, it is now considered a Müllerian mimic instead.
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Limenitis camilla, the (Eurasian) white admiral, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae. It is found in woodland throughout southern Britain and much of Europe and the Palearctic, extending as far east as Japan.
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Hypolimnas bolina, the great eggfly, common eggfly, varied eggfly, or in New Zealand the blue moon butterfly, is a species of nymphalid butterfly found from Madagascar to Asia and Australia.
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Adelpha californica, the California sister, is a species of butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. They are common in California, but can also be found in western Nevada and Oregon, as well as in northern Baja California. The upper surfaces of their wings are dark brown to black with wide cream white bands dissecting both wings and two orange patches near the tips of the forewings. The underside is variously colored with browns, blue, orange, and white. A. californica is unpalatable to predators and is part of a large mimicry complex.
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The Yellow admiral or Australian admiral is a butterfly native to Australia, New Zealand, Lord Howe Island, and Norfolk Islands. The Māori name is kahukōwhai, which means "yellow cloak". The yellow admiral is a member of the family Nymphalidae, the subfamily Nymphalinae as well as the tribe Nymphalini.
Lonicera maackii, the Amur honeysuckle, is a species of honeysuckle in the family Caprifoliaceae that is native to temperate eastern Asia; specifically in northern and western China south to Yunnan, Mongolia, Primorsky Krai in southeastern Siberia, Korea, and, albeit rare there, central and northern Honshū, Japan.
The Australian painted lady is a species of butterfly mostly confined to Australia, although westerly winds have dispersed it to islands east of Australia, including New Zealand. Debate surrounds the taxonomy of this species. Some believe that the Australian painted lady should be a subspecies of the painted lady due to the similarity in lifestyle and behaviour. Furthermore, the painted lady is found around the globe, but Australia is the only location in which it varies enough to be considered a separate species.
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Limenitis reducta, the southern white admiral, is a butterfly of the family Nymphalidae.
Nyctemera annulata, the magpie moth, is a moth of the family Erebidae. The species was first described by Jean Baptiste Boisduval in 1832. It is endemic to New Zealand and found in all parts of the country.
Houdinia is a monotypic genus of moths in the family Batrachedridae. Its sole species, Houdinia flexilissima, is endemic to raised bogs in northern New Zealand. It is classified as "At Risk, Relict" by the Department of Conservation. The caterpillars are sometimes referred to as Fred the thread.
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