| Honshu White Admiral | |
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Lepidoptera |
| Family: | Nymphalidae |
| Genus: | Limenitis |
| Species: | L. glorifica
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| Binomial name | |
| Limenitis glorifica Fruhstorfer, 1909
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The Honshu white admiral is an easily identifiable butterfly, as it looks rather different from many others found throughout New Zealand. The caterpillar of the Honshu white admiral hatches from single, pale yellow eggs and is green in colour often with strange brown spikes sticking up across its body (Parkinson, 2022[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 (Moths & Butterflies of New Zealand Trust, 2023[2]). The Honshu white admiral butterfly belongs to the family Nymphalidae, which can be easily identified by the reduced front legs that lack claws and are often held against the body, and are not used for walking (North Carolina State University, 2015[3]). There is no difference in appearance between the males and females of the species, and the wingspan is usually around 60mm (Landcare Research, 2023[4]).
Range edit
Natural global range edit
The Honshu white admiral is endemic to the island of Honshu, Japan (Landcare Research, 2023[4]).
New Zealand range edit
The Honshu white admiral was first brought into New Zealand in 2010, where it was released into the Waikato region (Landcare Research, 2023[4]). Since being released, the butterfly has established itself in Karangahake, and has been sighted in Tairua, Te Aroha, and Waihi Beach (Landcare Research, 2023[4]).
Habitat edit
As the Honshu white admiral is a relatively new species in New Zealand, its preferred habitat is not particularly well-known. This butterfly is from the island of Honshu, Japan where it may be exposed to different types of vegetation and climate, however it is most likely to be found around its host plant, japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica). Japanese honeysuckle is an invasive species that grows well in a variety of different habitats including fields, forest edges and openings, disturbed woods, and floodplains (Global Invasive Species Database, 2005[5]). In New Zealand, Japanese honeysuckle has established well in a variety of habitats including scrub, forest margins, wetlands, clearings, and pastures (NZ Plant Conservation Network, 2023[6])
Ecology edit
Life cycle/Phenology edit
As the Honshu white admiral is a butterfly, it undergoes four key events in its lifetime. Firstly, a single pale yellow egg is laid on the underside of a leaf on the Japanese honeysuckle plant by a mature female butterfly. After approximately seven days, the egg hatches to form a larva (caterpillar) that continues growing for around 28 days, with some caterpillars overwintering (Moths & Butterflies of New Zealand, 2023[2]). After 28 days of feeding on their host plant, the larvae form a greenish-brown pupa where they undergo metamorphosis to become an adult, with adult (imago) butterflies emerging from the pupa after roughly one week (Landcare Research, 2016[7]). This whole process can take place in less than eight weeks in warm areas, and adults can live for up to a month after hatching from their pupa (Landcare Research, 2016[7]). There is no specific timing for these events to occur; however, winter may affect the growth rate of the caterpillars. When eggs are laid closer to the winter period, the emerging caterpillars can survive the changing seasons by remaining inside shelters crafted from overhanging honeysuckle leaves, where shorter daylight hours encourage them to go into hibernation (usually when light levels drop to less than 13-14 daylight hours per day) (Landcare Research, 2016[7])
Diet and Foraging edit
Honshu white admirals have relatively little information in regards to their diet and foraging habits; however their confirmed host plant is the Japanese honeysuckle. Parkinson[1] (2022) found one Honshu white admiral caterpillar could consume a mean of 2.13 grams or 5.6 honeysuckle leaves in its larva stage. As the larvae are unable to move quickly between host plants, this foraging rate is unlikely to do any real damage to the invasive Japanese honeysuckle. In New Zealand, these butterflies have also been known to feed on Himalayan honeysuckle which is another invasive weed in New Zealand, although the Japanese honeysuckle is the ideal host plant and other honeysuckles studied in Japan have shown little damage from feeding caterpillars (Landcare Research, 2023[4])
Predators, Parasites, and Diseases edit
There is not enough data on the Honshu white admiral butterflies to determine whether there are any parasites or predators that affect this species, as in New Zealand there are few parasitoids that are likely to affect the population of these butterflies. However there is a possibility that these butterflies may come under attack from invasive social wasps that could limit their population growth (Landcare Research, 2023[4]). While this predation is unlikely, there is a possibility it may become an issue for these butterflies further along the line when they are better established throughout New Zealand. In terms of predators, some wasp species (Ichneumon, Pteromalus and Apanteles) were introduced to New Zealand to help control the population of white cabbage butterflies that are seen as pests (Te Motu Kairangi, 2023[8]). There are some concerns, however, that these parasitic wasps may negatively effect the population of non-targeted butterflies and could result in a population decrease of other butterfly and moths species throughout New Zealand (Te Motu Kairangi, 2023[8])
Interesting Information edit
The Honshu white admiral butterfly is endemic to the island of Honshu, Japan but has made its way to New Zealand to act as a biocontrol for the invasive Japanese honeysuckle from which it feeds (Landcare Research, 2023[4]). The butterfly was first introduced in the Waikato region, New Zealand in 2014 to act as a biocontrol agent however it failed to establish at other release sites including a site in Auckland (Paynter et al. 2019[9])
References edit
- ^ a b Parkinson, Adam (2022). "Foliage consumption of the Honshu white admiral Limenitis glorifica Fruhstorfer, 1909 on Japanese honeysuckle Lonicera japonica Thunb. In Aotearoa / New Zealand". Perspectives in Biosecurity. 7: 71–79. doi:https://doi.org/10.34074/pibs.00704.
{{cite journal}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Check|doi=value (help); Check date values in:|access-date=(help); External link in|doi= - ^ a b "Honshu white admiral, Limenitis glorifica". Moths & Butterflies of New Zealand Trust. Retrieved 24/03/2023.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|access-date=(help) - ^ "Nymphalidae". North Carolina State University. 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Meet the Biocontrol Agents : Japanese honeysuckle Honshu white admiral". Landcare Research. Retrieved 24/03/2023.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|access-date=(help) - ^ "Species profile: Lonicera japonica". Global Invasive Species Database. Retrieved 24/03/2023.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|access-date=(help) - ^ "Flora Species. Lonicera japonica". New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. Retrieved 22/03/2023.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|access-date=(help) - ^ a b c "The Biological Control of Weeds Book: Honshu white admiral" (PDF). Landcare Research. Retrieved 23/03/2023.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|access-date=(help) - ^ a b "Butterflies & Moths". Te Motu Kairangi. Retrieved 21/03/2023.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|access-date=(help) Cite error: The named reference "Te Motu Kairangi" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page). - ^ Paynter, Quentin; Peterson, Paul; Cranwell, Samantha; Winks, Chris; McGrath, Zane (2019). "Impacts of generalist predation on two weed biocontrol agents in New Zealand". New Zealand Plant Protection Society: 260–264. Retrieved 22/03/2023.
{{cite journal}}: Check date values in:|access-date=(help)