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e anuhe o te pūrerehua monarch

Monarch caterpillar

Danaus plexippus (Linnaeus)
Monarch butterfly [Danaus plexippus] caterpillar. Image: Joanne Redwood / CC-BY-NC

Monarch butterfly Danaus plexippus caterpillar. Image: Joanne Redwood / CC-BY-NC

Pūtoi
Order
Lepidoptera
Whānau
Family
Nymphalidae
Show in English Te Reo

Te Rahi

  • Ka tipu kia āhua 60 mm te roa

Size range

  • About 60 mm long when fully grown

Te Tītaringa

  • I pūtakea mai i te Takutai a Kiwa o Amerika ki te Raki.

Distribution

  • Originally from the Pacific Coast of North America

Te Huringa Ora

  • He pūrerehua rahi, 100 mm pea te whānui mai i te pito o tētahi parirau ki tētahi.
  • Kai ai ngā anuhe i ngā tipu o te whānau Asclepiadaceae; i Aotearoa nei, ko te tipu Swan tērā ka kainga nuitia e ia.
  • Heoi, ko ētahi atu o ana kai, ko te Tweedia me te Araujia.
  • Kai ai ngā pakeke i ngā momo wē anahe, tae atu ki te ngongo me te wai.

Life history

  • Large butterfly, wingspan up to 100 mm
  • Caterpillars feed on plants of the Asclepiadaceae family, usually Swan plant in New Zealand
  • Alternative food plants are Tweedia and Araujia
  • Adults take only liquid food, nectar and water