My first copper butterfly!
- Birkenhead Butterflies
- Nov 8
- 2 min read
November 2025
I have written about copper butterflies previously, and how I was planting muehlenbeckia, their host plant, despite the butterfly garden being over half a kilometre from the coast and perhaps not providing the right environment for copper butterflies. They are most likely to be found within sight of a beach (as are most New Zealanders, to be fair) but the inland sightings on iNaturalist gave me a little hope.
I have three types of muehlenbeckia now, with two just establishing and the groundcover doing very well. They were planted with the hope of copper butterflies, but not the expectation, and they create a great protective habitat for sheltering moths and butterflies, as well as food and protection for native lizards.
Today was already a great day, as I was working in the garden and hubby came bearing gifts of Wild Bean Cafe coffee and pies. Then I spotted it - a copper butterfly!
They are small - similar to the blue butterflies - but the colouring is unmistakable. It was very active in the sunshine and seemed to be having a good look around, never staying on any particular flower or leaf for long. I watched it for 10 minutes, happily munching and sipping the goodies hubby brought. Unfortunately, its speed meant I didn't get a close up photo of its wings open, so I am not sure which of the two local species it is. Never mind. Just having it in the garden makes me feel like I am on the right track to creating a supportive habitat for all local NZ butterflies.
When I went to Tiritiri Matangi last weekend - a place where I have seen many copper butterflies in the past - I was disappointed that I only saw two, despite a warm, still day and plenty of muehlenbeckia. To see a copper in my garden this weekend is all the more special because of that. If you want to view coppers this spring in Auckland, the ever-wonderful iNaturalist shows that there are copper butterflies at the west coast Auckland beaches - Karekare and Muriwai - and the east coast beaches - Orewa and Okura Bush. And in my garden - he he he!
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