Kōrero: Insects – overview

The painted lady butterfly (Vanessa kershawi) is a seasonal visitor to New Zealand from eastern Australia, arriving most years in spring. It lays its eggs on plants belonging to the daisy family. Although some of the butterflies have developed from eggs in New Zealand, the species does not manage to survive New Zealand’s winter.

This watercolour of the underside of a painted lady, about 1880, is by John Philemon Backhouse.