New Zealand, part 1 - Introduction and Itinerary

This is veering way off from topics related to Pacific Northwest butterflies, but New Zealand is on the western edge of the Pacific Ocean, so it still counts (and even if it didn't, I'd make up an excuse anyway!).  I recently spent two weeks visiting my sister in New Zealand.  It was my first overseas trip, my longest road trip (we toured the north island for nine days) and the longest vacation I've ever taken.  The weather couldn't have been better, it was sunny and in the 70s and 80s (Fahrenheit, I never did get a good grasp on Celsius while there) nearly every day.
Before I dive into describing the trip and all the wildlife I saw, here is a note about Maori/Kiwi pronunciation (for Americans anyway!):
"wh" is pronounced as an "f"
"ao" and "au" both have an "ow" sound with slightly different inflections
"ai" is pronounced like "eye"
For example, the yellow flower kōwhai (which means "yellow" or "to be yellow" in Maori) is pronounced something like "ko-fy".
Remember to click on the photos to view at full size if you wish.
Day 1 - arrival and short drive south of Wellington to Mount Victoria
After settling in and relaxing for a couple hours, we took a short drive around the harbor to Mount Victoria for views of the city and harbor.  We also accidentally found The Weta Cave, a "design and special effects workshop", where most of the props for the Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies were made, along with several other movies.  Because these movies will repeatedly come up in my New Zealand posts, for those of you not already familiar with the abbreviation, I will hereafter refer to them as "LOTR movies".

View of Wellington (looking north) from Mount Victoria

View of the airport and surrounding suburbs of Wellington (looking southeast) from Mount Victoria

Day 2 - walking tour of Wellington
Took the train into Wellington and spent the morning wandering around downtown, then hopped on the cable car to the top of the hill above the city, which is where my sister works and is surrounded by the botanical gardens, both of which we toured of course!

Parliament buildings in Wellington (capitol of New Zealand)

Day 3 - day trip to Cape Palliser
Drove from Wellington to Masterton, where they hold the annual Golden Shears sheep shearing competition.  We wandered around Queen Elizabeth Park, then drove down to Martinborough where we ate lunch in the town square, a small park in the center of town.  Someone must have liked to travel, because the streets were named Texas, Kansas, Ohio, Cambridge, Cologne, Naples, Venice, Strasbourge and Dublin.  We continued driving southwest, through Pirinoa, then angled southeast along the coast to Cape Palliser, the southern-most point of the North Island.  We returned through Featherston.

Looking south towards Cape Palliser

Looking west across Palliser Bay (the Dr Seuss-looking plant is a Cabbage Tree)

Little Blue Penguin crossing at Cape Palliser

New Zealand fur seal (Arctocephalus forsteri) mother and pup at Cape Palliser

New Zealand fur seal (Arctocephalus forsteri) pups at Cape Palliser

Cape Palliser Lighthouse

Looking northwest across Palliser Bay from the Cape Palliser Lighthouse

Day 4 - began our road trip
Drove from Wellington, north through Porirua (Whittaker's chocolates headquarters!) and stopped at the beach in Paraparaumu (nicknamed Paraparam) to test the water and take a couple pictures of Kapiti Island.  Continuing north, we stopped in Levin at a very interesting kid's park/playground, where we tried our hand at the giant hamster wheels and zip line before heading up to Whanganui for dinner, then decided to push onward to Waitara (east of New Plymouth) for the night.

Downtown Whanganui, New Zealand

Day 5 - Mt Taranaki and Cape Egmont Lighthouse
Backtracked south to Stratford, then west on Opunake Rd and north to the Dawson Falls Visitor Center, where we hiked the Wilkies Pools Loop Track, and the Dawson Falls Overlook Track. We then drove west around the mountain to Pungarehu and out to the Cape Egmont Lighthouse for some photos and time on the beach before heading back to Waitara for another night.  On our way there, we stopped in New Plymouth, where everything was decked out in red, white and blue and several American flags were hanging in storefronts, apparently we stumbled into the middle of "Americana Days in Taranaki"!

The "goblin forest" on the Wilkies Pools Loop Track at Mt Taranaki

The "goblin forest" on the Wilkies Pools Loop Track at Mt Taranaki

The "goblin forest" on the Wilkies Pools Loop Track at Mt Taranaki

A mini waterfall along the Wilkies Pools Loop Track at Mt Taranaki

Dawson Falls at Mt Taranaki

Dawson Falls at Mt Taranaki

Coast line near the Cape Egmont Lighthouse, near Taranaki

Cape Egmont Lighthouse with cloud-capped Mt Taranaki in the distance

Day 6 - Waitomo Glowworm Caves and Hobbiton
Drove northeast out of Waitara, through Te Kuiti and up to Waitomo, for a morning tour of the glowworm cave.  No one is allowed to take photographs inside the cave, but it was great, it was like looking at a night sky full of turquoise-colored stars.  Afterwards we continued northeast through Cambridge and took a little country road towards Matamata to the Hobbiton movie set (LOTR and Hobbit movies).  They run tour groups every half hour, and right before ours started, a big thunderstorm rolled over and got us soaked, along with some nerve-wracking nearby lightning (I was in sandals, standing in water...).  After the tour, we headed north through Te Aroha to Paeroa (home of "Lemon & Paeroa" or L&P, a kind of fizzy lemonade), then east through the Karangahake (Kara-nah-key) Gorge, with a quick stop at Owharoa (Oh-fa-row-ah) Falls, through Waihi, then north up the coast to Whangamata (Fang-ah-mah-tah) for the night.

Sign in front of the Hobbiton cafe and tourist center

Hobbiton movie set

Hobbiton movie set

Hobbiton movie set

Hobbiton movie set - this whole tree is fake! It is made of fiberglass and metal, and the silk leaves are hand-painted and individually wired onto the branches. The birds don't seem to mind though!

Hobbiton movie set - I think this is Bilbo's home (I'm not as familiar with the movies as some of my friends :)

Hobbiton movie set - sign on the gate in front of this hobbit hole

Hobbiton movie set - apparently the two Monarchs (right) didn't see the sign on the gate, or maybe they're here for the party?

Hobbiton movie set

Hobbiton movie set

Hobbiton movie set - this dragon is coming out of the bushes on the edge of the pond.

Day 7 - Coromandel Peninsula and Cathedral Cove
BEST DAY EVER! After breakfast at a cafe on the beach in Whangamata, we headed north along the coast to Whenuakite (Fen-ooah-kitty) and over to Hahei.  To get to Cathedral Cove, you have to drive up a steep hill north of Hahei (which is on a beach), find parking somewhere (we had to pay to park in someone's driveway as the tiny parking lot was more than full and people were parking on the bits of grass over the curb), then hike about 30 minutes along the cliff through forests with puriri trees (host to the Puriri Moth which I'll talk about in the next post) before dropping steeply down (there are some stairs) to the beach.  Apparently this is where part of the second Narnia movie was filmed.  It is absolutely gorgeous there, we didn't want to leave!  Eventually we tore away and drove southwest to Coroglen and took the mostly-gravel Tapu-Coroglen Road over the mountains, stopping to admire the giant kauri trees, including a short climb up another cliff (more stairs!) to the Square Kauri, the 15th largest kauri in New Zealand.  It is believed it wasn't logged with the rest of the kauri trees in the area because of its nearly square trunk.  Once we hit the Firth of Thames (west side of the Coromandel Peninsula), we followed it south and had dinner in Thames, where we learned the road we needed to take back to our hotel in Whangamata was closed from a serious accident, so we had to detour another hour south to Paeroa and retrace our steps from the previous evening over to Whangamata for the night.

View north towards Cathedral Cove (other side of the cliff on the left), on the Coromandel Peninsula

Cathedral Cove, on the east coast of the Coromandel Peninsula

Several White-fronted Terns (Sterna striata) on this rock at Cathedral Cove

South end of Cathedral Cove

The sand at Cathedral Cove is pink! It seemed to mostly be made of bits of shells.

Grove of kauri trees along Tapu-Coroglen Road (one of these is the Square Kauri)

The "Square Kauri" above Tapu-Coroglen Road, it is the 15th largest kauri

The "Square Kauri" above Tapu-Coroglen Road, it is the 15th largest kauri

Day 8 - Rotorua
From Whangamata, we drove south through Tauranga to Rotorua, stopping for lunch at the lake and a quick walk through the weekend street market. Thus began a 24-hour stint in the land of air smelling of sulfur and ammonia.  First stop was Te Puia, home of several geothermal features in a park with interpretive trails, as well as a small museum and school that teaches Maori crafts such as wood carving and basket weaving.  They also have a building that houses two live kiwis, of which we saw one but it was sleeping and just looked like a basketball-sized bundle of feathers with no head or tail.  From there we drove south to Waiotapu, an area with numerous geothermal features, such as boiling mud pools, hot springs, geysers and fumeroles (steam vents).  We found the "secret spot", a hot spring that bubbles up next to a creek, forming a mixed pool of hot and cold water. There were a few people quietly soaking in the pool, and we waded in it a bit before driving a little further up the park road and taking a short walk to the "secret secret spot", another hot spring at the base of a small waterfall that is a couple hundred feet off the road on an unmarked trail that few people know about (my sister knows someone who knew where it was and gave us directions).  We topped off the evening with a quick stop nearby at a viewing area of a large shallow pool with several areas of bubbling mud.

Lake Rotorua with a family of Black Swans (Cygnus atratus)

Small geyser and other thermal features at Te Puia, near Rotorua

Small geyser and other thermal features at Te Puia, near Rotorua

Sulfur deposits on the rocks at Te Puia, near Rotorua

Maori meeting house at Te Puia (where they have a wood carving school), near Rotorua

Bubbling mud pool at the Waiotapu thermal area (this particular spout was exploding more than bubbling)

Bubbling mud pool at the Waiotapu thermal area

Day 9 - Huka Falls, Craters of the Moon and Lake Taupo
From Rotorua, we drove south through Reporoa towards Taupo. First stop was about three miles north of Taupo at Huka Falls, a several-hundred feet stretch of rapids ending in a short but powerful waterfall, all of which was brilliant turquoise blue. After taking in a scenery, we drove over to the nearby Craters of the Moon thermal park and spent an hour or so wandering the trails around several steaming craters of various sizes, at least one of which was the filming location for Gollum's lair in the Lord of the Rings movies. We had lunch and ice cream in Taupo on the shore of the lake before driving south around the east side of the lake and taking another pit stop in Turangi and continuing south on the "Desert Road", stopping to take evening photos of the three volcanoes: Tongariro (north, smallest), Ngauruhoe (center, "now-ruh-ho-ay", aka "Mount Doom" in LOTR) and Ruapehu (south, tallest). We then headed west from Waiouru to Ohakune, where we stopped for the night.

Huka Rapids, just above Huka Falls, north of Taupo

Craters Of The Moon thermal park north of Taupo (another LOTR filming location)

Craters Of The Moon thermal park north of Taupo

Craters Of The Moon thermal park north of Taupo

Craters Of The Moon thermal park north of Taupo

Mt Ruapehu, looking west from the Desert Road between Taupo and Waiouru (Mt Ngauruhoe is to the right, out of photo)

Mt Ngauruhoe, aka "Mt Doom" from LOTR, looking west from the Desert Road between Taupo and Waiouru

Day 10 - Tongariro National Park
From Ohakune, we drove north around the west side of the mountains to National Park (a town named after the park), then east to the little cluster of cafes, visitor centers and Chateau Tongariro (hotel) on the northern flank of Mt Ruapehu.  On the way there, we stopped at Tawhai Falls, another filming location for LOTR.  After lunch, we continued up to the end of the road at the ski village, but the mountain was completely covered in clouds at that point so we settled for a cup of tea in the cafe, then drove back down a bit to the Silica Rapids trailhead.  We decided not to hike the full loop, but hiked to the rapids and returned the same way.  We then returned to Ohakune and took another forest road up the south flank of the mountain to the other ski area (both ski areas are the highest points you can drive to on the north island and are above the tree line).  There wasn't much up there and the mountain was still mostly covered in clouds, but the landscape was nice (and it was also used in the LOTR movies). Our final stop on the way back to Ohakune was Mangawhero Falls.  Although there was only the tiniest trickle of water at the time, the gorge was spectacular. We also found out later that that was where the scenes of Gollum catching fish were filmed for LOTR.

Tawhai Falls, near Whakapapa on the northern slopes of Mt Ruapehu

Chateau Tongariro, north of Mt Ruapehu

Chateau Tongariro, with Mt Ruapehu in the distance

Mt Ngauruhoe, aka "Mt Doom" from LOTR, looking east from the Chateau Tongariro parking lot

View of the tussock grasslands from the Silica Rapids Track, north of Mt Ruapehu, looking northeast

View of the tussock grasslands from the Silica Rapids Track, looking north

Close-up of the tussock grass, moss and heather along the Silica Rapids Track

Silica Rapids, north of Mt Ruapehu (underground thermal activity produces silica that is deposited on the rocks in the rapids)

Silica Rapids Track, looking down a steep set of stairs on the trail

Cloud-capped Mt Ruapehu, view from the ski area on the south flank (end of Chakune Mountain Road)

Kiwi crossing!

The creek that feeds Mangawhero Falls (barely a trickle this time of year), with Mt Ruapehu in the distance

Day 11 - Ohakune to Napier/Hastings
Headed east to Waiouru, then south to Taihape.  We were supposed to turn east on Taihape-Napier Road before the town of Taihape, but missed the intersection and used the opportunity to stop in Taihape and see the giant gumboot (New Zealand likes their giant statues of fruit, vegetables, and the occasional random object).  After we got back on track, we followed the road to Napier, enjoying the beautiful sheep country on the way, and even stopping to photograph a couple sheep stations that were in the middle of shearing!  Eventually we made it to Napier and first checked out the beach before looking for a place to stay the night.  Come to find out, there was a cricket World Cup game being played in Napier that day or the next day, and every place was booked, or the last spots filled up just a couple minutes before we arrived at each hotel, so after three tries we finally found a place in the neighboring city of Hastings.

Romney sheep waiting to be shorn at Motukawa Station, on the Taihape-Napier road

Day 12 - Gannets at Cape Kidnappers and back to Wellington
There are two tours of the gannet colonies at Cape Kidnappers southeast of Napier (east of Hastings). One is essentially a wagon ride, sitting on a large flatbed trailer pulled by a tractor along the beach at low tide, providing views of the offshore gannet colonies, and allows you to have lunch on the beach and hike to the top of the cliff to the main colony. The other is in a more-or-less air-conditioned 4x4 safari bus that takes you directly to the main colony at the top of the cliff.  The tractor tour takes about 4 hours and is cheaper, while the bus tour is about 3 hours and more expensive.  We had debated for several days which one to do, and decided on the bus tour because 1) we were getting very tired at this point of the trip and 2) we still needed to drive back to Wellington and the bus tour would be done nearly two hours before the tractor tour returned.  The tractor tour seems to cater more to families with kids and I'm sure would have been fun if we had more energy, but after seeing how high the cliff is, we were very happy we chose the bus!

View of Hawke Bay from the cliffs at Cape Kidnappers, looking north towards Napier

The bus tour winds through the property of an American billionaire (can't remember the name), which includes the Cape Kidnappers Golf Course (apparently world-renowned and rated in the top 40 of the world if I remember right) and a luxury lodge/hotel and spa, frequented by many celebrities apparently, the cheapest rooms start at around $800/night.  Or you can rent the owner's cottage (when he's not there of course) for several thousand dollars a day, and it includes a chef and butler!
After we returned to reality, we came to the cliffs and some of the most amazing views of the ocean I've seen.

Island colonies of Australasian Gannets (Morus serrator) at Cape Kidnappers

Eventually we wound around to the end of the cape and suddenly came out on the plateau where thousands of gannets came into view, oh so much closer than I expected! It was wonderful, we spent nearly an hour there, photographing them and the other colonies lower down on the cliffs and on the beach.  They aren't afraid of people but aren't very curious either, so they stay on their side of the little rope fence and we stayed on our side, but we could get to within two or three feet of some of them, so I went a bit crazy with my new camera.

Australasian Gannet (Morus serrator) colony at Cape Kidnappers, New Zealand

Australasian Gannet colony at Cape Kidnappers

Australasian Gannet colony at Cape Kidnappers

Coming in for a crash landing at Cape Kidnappers (gannets are completely awkward on land!)

Australasian Gannet colony at Cape Kidnappers (see the little baby?)

Australasian Gannet with small chick at Cape Kidnappers

Australasian Gannet colony at Cape Kidnappers

Juvenile Australasian Gannet at Cape Kidnappers

Australasian Gannet with chick at Cape Kidnappers

Like parent, like chick - Australasian Gannets at Cape Kidnappers

Juvenile Australasian Gannet at Cape Kidnappers

Juvenile Australasian Gannet stretching its wings at Cape Kidnappers

Australasian Gannet at Cape Kidnappers

Australasian Gannet at Cape Kidnappers I love the blue eyes and black-lined beak,
and the wild greenish-cream colored stripes on its legs!

Australasian Gannet at Cape Kidnappers

Australasian Gannet beach colony at Cape Kidnappers

Australasian Gannet "saddle colony" at Cape Kidnappers (this is the one you most often see on postcards)

Afterwards, we hit the road again, back through Hastings and south to Waipukurau, where we unknowingly missed a turn and continued south on a little country road.  You would think we would have noticed something wasn't quite right, but most of the highways and major roads in New Zealand look like every other country road: narrow and winding.  So, over a half hour later we started wondering why we weren't seeing more towns that should have been along the highway, then we came across the little town of Porangahau, I tried to find it on the map and finally realized we were waaaaay off!  It was too late to turn around at that point, we were enjoying the drive and also realized we were already almost to the "world's longest place name", Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu (Taumata for short).  Eventually we came out at Dannevirke and got back on the right road and headed southwest, through Palmerston North, and back along the coast to Wellington.

World's longest place name: Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu (Taumata for short)

Day 13 - recuperation
We pretty much sat on the couch all day!
Day 14 - south coast and flight back home
I spent part of the morning packing up, then we drove out to the coast south of Wellington.  On a clear day you can see the south island from there, but there was just enough mist and clouds on the horizon to block it. It was still a beautiful view, and my sister showed me where her dive club is based, then we had lunch next door and watched a few scuba divers coming up onto the beach after their dives.  I didn't want to leave, but eventually it was time to catch my plane back to the states.

See my next blog post for a list of the insects I saw during this trip, along with more photos!

New Zealand, part 2 - Insects

New Zealand is known more for its birds, but it is also home to a small yet interesting group of butterflies and many other insects.  Below is a list with short descriptions of the insect species I believe I saw during my two week trip.  I included Maori names for the butterflies and a few of the other insects, but if anyone reading this knows more about New Zealand insects and/or their Maori names, please correct me as needed.  Refer to "part 1" of this post for more detailed information about the locations I visited.

Display of New Zealand invertebrates at the Te Papa museum in Wellington

Butterflies (Maori: Pepe, also sometimes refers to moths)
Cabbage White Pieris rapae (Maori: pepe mā, "white butterfly")
These were EVERYWHERE!!!  I am not exaggerating when I say I have never seen so many cabbage whites in my life!  From rocky ocean beaches, to the harsh environments around the Rotorua-area hot springs and mud pools, all the way to the alpine scree slopes at the highest point you can drive to on the North Island, I always saw at least one cabbage white!  They were mostly seen in the agricultural areas of course, and there were clouds of them flying over fields of some kind of brassica crop, possibly rutabagas (aka "swedes" in New Zealand).  By the end of the trip, it became a game between my sister and I to try and find a location where we didn't see a cabbage white!

Cabbage White Pieris rapae (Queen Elizabeth Park, Masterton, New Zealand)

Monarch Danaus plexippus (Maori: kahuku)
I saw at least two or three a day, mostly in city gardens.  I saw five Monarchs at Hobbiton, they seemed to enjoy the well-kept gardens and watered lawns!  The primary larval host for Monarchs in New Zealand is swan plant (Gomphocarpus and Asclepias sp.).

Monarch Danaus plexippus (Queen Elizabeth Park, Masterton, New Zealand)

Monarch Danaus plexippus (Hobbiton movie set, near Matamata, New Zealand)

Monarch Danaus plexippus (Hobbiton movie set, near Matamata, New Zealand)

Red Admiral Vanessa gonerilla (Maori: kahu kura, "red cloak")
Endemic to New Zealand, these are a different species than what we call a Red Admiral (V. atalanta) here in North America.  They are similar, but one of the obvious differences is that the New Zealand Red Admiral has black-ringed blue eyespots in the red band on the dorsal hindwing.  I caught glimpses of at least three of these butterflies, and finally photographed one on a manuka tree south of Rotorua.  I thought it was another Yellow Admiral, which were flying around and landing higher up on the trunk, but after studying the photo I realized it is a Red Admiral.  I was unable to photograph the gorgeous dorsal of this species (although I did photograph a museum specimen, see below), but am excited to at least have gotten the almost-as-pretty ventral side.

"New Zealand" Red Admiral Vanessa gonerilla
(Waiotapu Thermal Wonderland, New Zealand)

Yellow Admiral Vanessa itea (Maori: kahu kōwhai, "yellow cloak")
These are found in both Australia and New Zealand.  I observed several of these "hill-topping" (congregating at the tops of hills and mountains) on the hill above Wellington in the botanic gardens on the first full day of my trip.  I saw a few more in various locations, including three that were feeding on sap oozing from the small trunk of a manuka tree south of Rotorua.  Yellow Admirals seem to be just as skittish and hard to approach as most painted lady butterflies, and I was unable to get close enough to one to photograph it.

Forest Ringlet Dodonidia helmsii (left), New Zealand Red Admiral (center), Yellow Admiral (right)

Long-tailed Blue Lampides boeticus
It is believed these were introduced to New Zealand around 1965 by prevailing winds from Australia.  The larvae are known to feed on many legume species, but seem to have specifically taken to feeding on the flowers of gorse in New Zealand (gorse is similar to Scotch broom, and is just as annoying a weed in New Zealand as Scotch broom is in western Washington).  I saw two Long-tailed Blues amongst several Common Blues nectaring on wildflowers along the hike to Cathedral Cove on the Coromandel Peninsula.
Common Blue Zizina (otis) labradus (Maori: pepe ao uri, as near as I can interpret it means "dark smoke butterfly")
Some of my books list this as Z. otis labradus and others list it as a full species Z. labradus.  I can't find much information on it at the moment, so I'm not sure which it should be.  A common butterfly in Australia, it is believed to have been arriving in New Zealand on the winds of storms for centuries.  I usually only saw one or two at a time in a few locations, but there were large numbers along the edge between pastures and the ocean beach near the Cape Egmont Lighthouse.

Common Blue Zizina (otis) labradus
 (Wellington Botanical Gardens, New Zealand)

Common Blue Zizina (otis) labradus (Wilkies Pools Loop Track, Mt Taranaki, New Zealand)

Common Blue Zizina (otis) labradus (beach near Cape Egmont Lighthouse, New Zealand)

Coastal Copper Lycaena salustius (Maori: pepe para riki, refers to all species of coppers, but I can't find a literal translation)
According to New Zealand lepidopterists Brian Patrick and Hamish Patrick in their book Butterflies of the South Pacific (where most of my info for this post is coming from), this copper should be recognized as a distinct species (often included with L. rauparahara), and is found in the coastal areas of the north island of New Zealand.  I believe this is the species of copper I saw while climbing the steps of the Cape Palliser lighthouse.  It was flying up the face of the cliff and pausing near flowers, so I was able to see flashes of the bright orange dorsal and yellow ventral, but wasn't able to get a very close look at it or photograph it.
Maui's Copper Lycaena edna (Maori: pepe para riki)
Again according to Brian Patrick and Hamish Patrick, this should be a full species, and was formerly included with L. salustius and L. rauparahara.  My other guide books simply call all of these the "Common Copper, Lycaena salustius complex".  Based on the geographical distribution, I believe this is the species of copper I saw and photographed at Mt. Ruapeho in the central part of the north island.

Maui's Copper Lycaena edna (Silica Rapids Track, Mt Ruapehu, New Zealand)

Moths (Maori: Pūrerehua/Pepe)
I saw a few "little brown moths" in various locations around the north island, but didn't bother to photograph them for identification.  The few, more identifiable, moths I saw are as follows:
Fern Looper Ischalis sp. (possibly I. gallaria?)
I photographed this moth on a hike near Mt. Taranaki.  The larvae of these moths feed on various ferns, of which there were plenty in this forested area.

Fern Looper Ischalis sp., possibly I. gallaria? (Wilkies Pools Loop Track, Mt Taranaki, New Zealand)

Kawakawa Looper Cleora scriptaria
I'm not positive of this identification as this seems to be a variable species, but the distinct spot on the dorsal forewing seems to be a distinguishing characteristic of this species.  I photographed this moth on the bank between a farmer's field and the ocean beach at the Cape Egmont Lighthouse.

Kawakawa Looper Cleora scriptaria (beach near Cape Egmont Lighthouse, New Zealand)

Orange Underwing Paranotoreas sp.
These are little day-flying moths with dark brown forewings and orange hindwings with thin black bands.  They never landed so I didn't get any photos, but I saw several of them along our hikes at Mt. Taranaki and at Mt. Ruapehu.  According to one of my guide books, P. zopyra is found around Mt. Taranaki and in the South Island, while P. brephosata is found in central North Island, south to the coast.  I don't know if there are more than these two species, but from these descriptions it sounds like I may have seen both species.
Porina Moth Wiseana sp., possibly copularis
There are seven species of Porina moths in New Zealand, all of which are highly variable and difficult to identify without close examination.  Their larvae burrow underground and come out at night to feed on grass.  I saw several of these resting on various items around the gas pumps at a gas station in Waiouru (central part of the island near Mt Ruapehu); I assume they had been attracted to the lights at night.  These moths are part of a group called "ghost moths", that also includes the endemic Pūriri Moth, a beautiful, large green moth, whose larvae burrow into and feed on the wood of Pūriri trees and can take up to five years to develop before reaching the adult stage.

Porina Moth Wiseana sp., possibly copularis
(gas station in Waiouru, New Zealand)

A few "ghost moths" in a display at the Te Papa museum in Wellington.
The color of these has faded, but the largest one is a Pūriri moth, which are usually bright green.

Beetles (Maori: Pāpapa)
brown scarab/chafer Odontria sp. or Costelytra sp.
I'm not sure of the correct ID for this beetle.  One option is Odontria xanthostica (Yellowspotted Chafer) but there are almost no photos online and it is only illustrated in one of my guidebooks. However, it is the only somewhat-spotted brown scarab beetle I could find for New Zealand.  The other option is a species of Costelytra (grass-grub beetles), but all the photos I can find of the few species in this genus in New Zealand are solid brown.  One complication is that this beetle was dead, which may have affected its color.  It was on a small, mossy clearing next to the Wilkies Pools Loop Track at Mt. Taranaki.

brown scarab/chafer, Odontria sp. or Costelytra sp.?
(Wilkies Pools Loop Track, Mt Taranaki, New Zealand)

Tanguru Chafer Stethaspis suturalis
This is a medium-sized scarab beetle, endemic to New Zealand.  They are apparently common in native forests, where the grubs feed on tree roots.  I found this beetle dead on the Tapu-Coroglen Road through Coromandel Forest Park, near where we stopped to photograph our first kauri tree.

Tanguru Chafer Stethaspis suturalis
(Tapu-Coroglen Rd, Coromandel Forest Park, New Zealand)

Tiger Beetle Cicindela (Neocicindela) sp. (Maori: papapa, the grub is known as hāpuku, kūī, or muremure)
There are approximately 16 species of tiger beetles in New Zealand.  The most common is C. tuberculata, which appears to be what I saw.  There were several in the sandy bank above the rocky shore near the Cape Egmont Lighthouse northwest of Taranaki.  I also saw several along the Silica Rapids Trail on the northern slope of Mt Ruapehu.  I photographed one on the gravel section of the Tapu-Coroglen Road, at the same place I found the Tanguru Chafer.

Tiger Beetle Cicindela (Neocicindela) sp. (beach near Cape Egmont Lighthouse, New Zealand)

Tiger Beetle Cicindela (Neocicindela) sp. (Tapu-Coroglen Rd, Coromandel Forest Park, New Zealand)

Tiger Beetle Cicindela (Neocicindela) sp. (Silica Rapids Track, Mt Ruapehu, New Zealand)

Tiger Beetle Cicindela (Neocicindela) sp. (Silica Rapids Track, Mt Ruapehu, New Zealand)

Grasshoppers, Katydids, and Cicadas
green cicadas Kikihia sp.
There were lots of cicadas in most wooded areas of the island, filling the air with their loud calls.  The only one I was able to photograph was this bright green individual in some grass next to the Silica Rapids Trail on the northern slope of Mt. Ruapehu.  It fits with the Subalpine Cicada Kikihia subalpina, but the species in this genus are very similar and I have limited experience identifying cicadas so I'm not certain of this ID.

Green cicada Kikihia sp. (Silica Rapids Track, Mt Ruapehu, New Zealand)

Passion Vine Hopper Scolypopa australis
There were at least a couple dozen of these tiny plant hoppers on the side of the Cape Palliser lighthouse.  This species is native to Australia and was introduced to New Zealand in the 1870s.

Passion Vine Hopper Scolypopa australis (Cape Palliser Lighthouse, New Zealand)

Passion Vine Hopper Scolypopa australis (Cape Palliser Lighthouse, New Zealand)

North Island Grasshopper Sigaus piliferus
This is a threatened species only found in a few locations on the North Island. Because of its apparent rarity, I'm not sure if this is the correct species for the two I photographed, but they were along the Silica Rapids Trail at Mt. Ruapehu, which is right in the middle of S. piliferus habitat, and at a higher elevation than most other New Zealand grasshopper species are found.

North Island Grasshopper Sigaus piliferus (Silica Rapids Track, Mt Ruapehu, New Zealand)

North Island Grasshopper Sigaus piliferus (Silica Rapids Track, Mt Ruapehu, New Zealand)

Field Grasshopper Conocephalus semivittatus
These are also sometimes known as conehead katydids (a group which includes several species).  I saw one at the Cape Palliser Lighthouse.

Field Grasshopper Conocephalus semivittatus (Cape Palliser Lighthouse, New Zealand)

First butterflies of 2015

During the warm and sunny weather of the past few weeks, reports started coming in of the first butterflies of the year emerging in the Pacific Northwest.  Species that overwinter as adults were the first to make an appearance, including Milbert's Tortoiseshells (Aglais milberti) and Mourning Cloaks (Nymphalis antiopa).  Echo Azures (Celastrina echo) were the first new adults to emerge as usual.
To report your own sightings and join in discussions about local butterflies, you may join the Northwest Leps Yahoo Group (not affiliated with my blog, but where I've gathered the following records).
February 12 - two Milbert's Tortoiseshells reported near Lake Roosevelt in eastern WA.
February 15 - Satyr Anglewing (Polygonia satyrus) in Seattle, WA
February 22 - Echo Azure near Columbia River in Clatsop Co.
February 28 - four Milbert's Tortoiseshells west of Yakima, WA
March 1 - Echo Azure in Grays River, WA and three Mourning Cloaks at Fort Clatsop in OR
March 7 - my dad reported seeing a Mourning Cloak near Ellensburg in central WA
also on March 7 - Milbert's Tortoiseshell in northern Baker County, OR
March 8 - Mourning Cloak, Milbert's Tortoiseshell, two Satyr Anglewings, Cabbage White, Brown Elfin (Callophrys augustinus) and Sheridan's Green Hairstreak (Callophrys sheridanii) near Wenatchee, WA
March 13 - Echo Azure, three Mourning Cloaks, Gray Hairstreak (Strymon melinus), Cabbage White (Pieris rapae) and Margined White (P. marginalis) in vicinity of Fort Stevens in OR
March 16 - I saw my first-of-the-year butterfly, either a Margined White or Cabbage White checking out some flowers next to the highway on my drive home from work in Longview, WA.

Although we've now entered a period of cooler temperatures and rain, keep an eye out for butterflies on the next warm day!

Introducing my new camera setup!

I've been long overdue to upgrade my camera, and with an upcoming trip to New Zealand, I started thinking about what kind of photography setup I wanted to bring.  I've also been wanting a better macro/flash setup for specimen photography, as my single external flash works great in the field but is too harsh and often casts unwanted shadows when photographing specimens.
I wrote a post a couple years ago about my camera setup, and was very excited about the new macro lens and flash I had just purchased, and it was a drastic improvement from my built-in flash and standard telephoto lens, but after working with it for two years and learning more about specimen photography, I realized I needed a shorter macro lens (40 or 60 mm instead of 105) and either a dual-flash system (one on each side of the lens) or a ring flash, so I don't have to photoshop out all the distracting shadows.  I bought a 40mm macro last year and have been very happy with it, but still needed a different flash.
My Nikon D80 camera has been a great workhorse for 9 years, and survived a couple drops and being splashed with mud once or twice.  The reasons I wanted to upgrade to a new camera were primarily the image resolution (D80 is 10 megapixels, most current cameras are 20+), a lighter body (the D80 is HEAVY, especially after running over hill and dale after butterflies!), and hopefully a self-cleaning sensor (the D80 has been plaguing me with dust on the sensor which shows up as blurry dark circles on the photo, costs $100 to get it cleaned).
After an entire day of researching cameras, I went with the Nikon D7100, a 24 megapixel beauty with a self-cleaning sensor and a zillion new buttons and settings that are almost overwhelming! Although it is actually larger than the D80, it is a little lighter, not as much as I had hoped, but I picked it because it is one of the few in my price range with a magnesium alloy body instead of plastic (thus the weight), which is much more durable and resists moisture, all of which is a must for what I put it through out in the field.  I also bought a very lightweight 18-55 mm lens that should work really well for traveling and hikes, when I don't want to lug around my 18-200 mm monster lens.  Likewise, I bought a 60 mm macro lens that is half the weight of my 1.74 lb 105mm macro.  I don't have to get as close to my subject like I do with the 40mm macro, but it provides a middle-range magnification so I shouldn't regret leaving my 105 behind if I want a lighter pack on a hike.
After some confusing comparisons and research into macro-system flashes, which range from $40-$800+, I decided on a the Phoenix SmartFlash RF46 TTL Macro Ring Light for Nikon. Long name for a small and very lightweight system! I hoped that spending the $90 on it instead of the $300-400 Nikon-brand macro dual flash system wouldn't come back to bite me later, but so far I'm more than happy with it.  It is controlled by the camera, and there is very little you can do to adjust it manually, but it seems to match the right flash strength with whatever aperture/shutter settings I use.  I also know that I probably wouldn't use all the manual adjustments on the more expensive flash, so I was willing to sacrifice some control for the substantial cost difference.
To recap, my former setup was this:
Nikon D80 camera
Nikon SB-700 Speedlight Flash (which I'll still use except for specimen photography)
Nikon AF-S VR Micro-Nikkor 105mm macro lens (will use for certain butterfly photo situations in the field)
Nikon AF-S DX Micro-Nikkor 40mm macro lens (use for super-close-ups)
Nikon AF-S DX Nikkor VR 18-200mm zoom lens (all-purpose)

New setup:
above lenses, depending on situation
Nikon D7100 camera
Nikon AF-S DX Micro-Nikkor 60mm macro lens (specimen & field photography)
Phoenix SmartFlash RF46 TTL Macro Ring Light for Nikon (for specimen photography)
Nikon VR AF-S DX Nikkor 18-55mm zoom lens (landscape/plant photography)

Unfortunately it looks like I'm going to have to spend a bit more money because of all this... I uploaded some of my experimental photos for the first time and found out that my Adobe Elements 10 is too old for my brilliant new camera, and can't read the NEF files (raw images, like digital negatives).  I can still edit the JPEGs for now, but they don't have as many editing options as NEF, and it's something I really need the ability to do.  Always something!

Enough of my jabbering, here are the results! Notice the difference in shadows and color? I uploaded the full size instead of reducing it, so if you click on the image you can enjoy it at full screen.

Western Tiger Swallowtail, Papilio rutulus, taken with Nikon D80 camera, 40mm macro, and single (SB-700) flash

Western Tiger Swallowtail, Papilio rutulus, taken with Nikon D7100 camera, 60mm macro lens, and ring flash

Colorado Hairstreak, Hypaurotus crysalus, taken with Nikon D80 camera, 40mm macro, and single (SB-700) flash

Colorado Hairstreak, Hypaurotus crysalus, taken with Nikon D7100 camera, 60mm macro lens, and ring flash

Hesperia challenges in Washington

Skippers have always been difficult for me to identify, so I spent part of my Christmas vacation tackling the four species of Hesperia that are found here in Washington: Juba (H. juba), Western Branded (H. colorado), Common Branded (H. comma), and Nevada (H. nevada) skippers.  Western and Common branded skippers are sometimes considered the same species (organized under H. comma), but I follow the taxonomy of Butterflies of Oregon (Warren, 2005) and A Catalogue of the Butterflies of the United States and Canada (Pelham, 2008, continuously updated on the Butterflies of America website), both of which consider them separate species.
Note: click on any of the photos to view them at full-size.

Comparison of Hesperia species of Washington. All are male. Circles and numbers correspond to descriptions below.

Juba Skipper - Hesperia juba
This is the largest of the four species, and is often easily ID'd in the field by the hairs on the thorax reflecting bright turquoise blue in the sun. This species is a bright orange/gold overall, and is mostly confused with Western Branded Skippers.
The following numbers correspond to the numbers in the image above.
1 - this bar is usually larger than in the other three species.
2 - distinct brown margin with toothed/streaked orange markings, the two colors are very distinct and do not seem to "dissolve" into each other as much as the other three species.
3 - light gold/yellowish spots are indistinct, compared to Common Branded Skipper.
4 - white spot not as indented as Nevada Skipper, and wing base-color is not as dusky.

Juba Skippers

Juba Skipper, with slight turquoise reflection on the thorax.

Western Branded Skipper - Hesperia colorado
This species is generally bright orange/gold and mostly confused with Juba Skippers. It is not as dusky overall and is widespread in Washington, compared to the Common Branded Skipper which is usually darker and has a restricted range in Washington.
1 - this bar is usually smaller than in Juba, and sometimes blends in more with the orange background, especially in males.
2 - brown margin is usually much narrower than Juba, and gradually transitions to orange, compared to the distinct and jagged boundary in Juba.
3 - light gold/yellowish spots are indistinct, compared to Common Branded Skipper.
4 - white spot not as indented as Nevada Skipper, and wing base-color is brighter orange, not as dusky as Nevada or Common Branded skippers.

Western Branded Skippers

Common Branded Skipper - Hesperia comma
In Washington, this species is only found at high elevations in the northern Cascades (such as around Harts Pass and Slate Peak) and at Hurricane Ridge in the Olympic Mountains.
1 - this bar is usually smaller than in Juba, and usually does not touch the orange discal coloration.
2 - brown margin is usually wider than Western Branded, but compared to Juba, the transition between brown and orange is less distinct and not as jagged. Overall, Common Branded Skippers have less orange on the dorsal wing surface compared to the other species.
3 - light gold/yellowish spots are usually more distinct and with less orange background compared to the other three species.
4 - white spot not as indented as Nevada Skipper.

Common Branded Skippers

Nevada Skipper - Hesperia nevada
This species is less common than Juba and Western Branded skippers in Washington.  It is found in shrub-steppe habitat mostly around Kittitas and Yakima counties, and in parts of of Okanogan County.  It is generally duskier than Juba and Western Branded skippers.
1 - this bar is usually smaller than in Juba.
2 - width of the brown margin varies from narrow to wide, but it gradually transitions to orange, compared to the distinct and jagged boundary in Juba.
3 - light gold/yellowish spots are usually less distinct compared to Common Branded Skipper.
4 - white spot is greatly indented compared to the other three species, and wing base-color is usually more dusky than Juba and Western Branded skippers.
I only have the one specimen shown in the comparison photo at the top of this page. For more examples of this species, see the species photos on the Butterflies of America website.

Happy New Year!