Vanessa gonerilla
In 3 days ~20% in a week ~50%
The New Zealand red admiral (Vanessa gonerilla) is a species of butterfly native to New Zealand, where it is relatively widespread. In the Māori language, which is spoken by the people indigenous to New Zealand, the butterfly is referred to as kahukura, which means 'red cloak'. There are two subspecies of red admiral, which occur on the mainland and on the Chatham Islands, respectively. As an adult, the red admiral has a wingspan of around 50–60 mm (2.0–2.4 in). The wings are blackish and have distinctive red and white markings. The Chatham Islands subspecies is nearly identical to the mainland subspecies, but has slightly different red markings.
As a caterpillar, the red admiral is blackish with green markings. It is sometimes mistaken for the yellow admiral (Vanessa itea), which is also common in New Zealand. The caterpillar feeds on the leaves of Urtica (stinging nettles), especially Urtica ferox (ongaonga). Egg laying begins in September and proceeds until late May (early spring to late autumn in the Southern Hemisphere). After hatching, it takes five to six weeks for the caterpillar to begin to enter the pupal stage, where the caterpillar forms a cocoon and transitions into an adult. After two to three weeks, the adult emerges from the chrysalis. The red admiral is a strong flier that tends to move in an erratic pattern. The Chatham Islands subspecies is reported to be more timid and flighty than the mainland subspecies.
The red admiral was first scientifically described in 1775 by Danish zoologist Johan Christian Fabricius from specimens collected during the first voyage of James Cook. It has been proposed that the red admiral is in decline, but this is difficult to assess due to an absence of historical population records. Under the New Zealand Threat Classification System, it is listed as "Not Threatened". The red admiral is heavily parasitised by the exotic (non-native) wasps Echthromorpha intricatoria (cream-spotted ichneumon) and Pteromalus puparum, which lay eggs in the red admiral pupa. In one survey, P. puparum and E. intricatoria were present in many pupae. It has been suggested that the perceived decline of the red admiral is due to the high level of parasitism by E. intricatoria. Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fiordland National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 2 | Rakiura National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 3 | Egmont National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 4 | Abel Tasman National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Auckland | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a New Zealand Red Admiral sighting in Abel Tasman National Park on a given day, based on 5 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 51st most-seen of the 64 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 20%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.
January–February and October
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a New Zealand Red Admiral in Abel Tasman National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March–September and November–December, the lowest months.
Between noon and 3 pm
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most New Zealand Red Admiral sightings with a recorded time, and about 9 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
4th of 4
Of the 4 parks where we can rate New Zealand Red Admiral sightings, Abel Tasman National Park ranks 4th at about 10%. The best odds are in Fiordland National Park (New Zealand, about 20%), Rakiura National Park (New Zealand, about 10%) and Egmont National Park (New Zealand, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the New Zealand Red Admiral is recorded against all the insects logged in Abel Tasman National Park (5 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
