Trying to save the butterfly with no name
A group of butterfly experts is trying to unravel the mystery of the copper butterfly.
So little is known about this New Zealand butterfly, which some experts fear is facing extinction, it is not even known how many varieties there are. Coppers are grouped into four scientifically named species but there could be more than 20 individual species within these groups.
To fill the void, a group of butterfly experts and enthusiasts formed The Butterfly Discovery Project to fund a PhD student to try to help solve the mystery of the copper butterfly.
Copper butterflies were first identified during Captain Cook’s Endeavour voyage.
Butterflies that had been collected were sold to a specimen trader on arrival in London. Only a painting by William Jones in 1775
– known as an iconotype – was used to identify the butterfly and no original specimens have ever been located.
The result is that most copper butterflies have been grouped together as just ‘common coppers’ when there may be many more.
Dr George Gibbs, a retired professor from Victoria University of Wellington, has studied butterflies for more than 50 years, including a now extinct ringlet population near his Eastbourne home. There were many factors contributing to the loss of butterflies, including habitat loss, the use of poisons, and introduced pests like the German wasp, he said.
In order to study copper butterflies they first need to be properly identified and named, using scientific methods including DNA.
Native butterflies did not enjoy the high profile New Zealand birds facing extinction such as the takahē and kākāpō had, Gibbs said.
New Zealanders hardly ever see butterflies, and Gibbs said that had also reflected in the amount of scientific interest coppers attracted.
Although there had been local extinctions, due to habitat loss, Gibbs said it was not clear if coppers were facing total extinction.
Project manager Angela MoonJones said it was hard to save a species, when it did not even have a scientific name.
‘‘Sadly, the scientific funding model in NZ does not support this type of work so we must raise money through crowdfunding, just to be able to identify and name our important fauna.’’
Once that work had been done, the coppers could be included in national conservation programmes with the Department of Conservation.
‘‘Some of our coppers are extinct already, or on the edge of extinction,’’ said Dr Robert Hoare of Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, who will be one of the student’s supervisors.
Gibbs has pledged $50,000 as seed money in memory of his grandfather, renowned entomologist GV Hudson. The project has a Givealittle page and is aiming to raise $130,000.