Working to save the forest ringlet

The endangered forest ringlet

The Moths and Butterflies of NZ Trust (MBNZT, formerly the Monarch Butterfly NZ Trust) is working to save the forest ringlet/pepe pouri, with the assistance of a funding grant from the Department of Internal Affairs.

Dodonidia helmsii is an endemic species. It is an iconic, elegant, nocturnal butterfly.

In New Zealand's Threat Classification System the forest ringlet is listed as "At Risk Relict", having undergone a documented decline because of introduced wasps and loss of native food sources. It now occupies less than 10 per cent of its former range: clearings near forest edges, mainly in beech forest north of Lewis Pass.

Until the 1970s, forest ringlets were found throughout New Zealand districts, ranges and regional parks.

Forest ringlets have disappeared from forest below 400m altitude, but are still found at 600m or higher, the attitudinal limit for the German and common wasps.

There are colonies in the Coromandel forests, and on Little Barrier Island/Te Hauturu-o-Toi. Host plants are Gahnia species (cutty grass) and Chionochloa sedges.

The MBNZT has approval from DoC and iwi to source a limited number of live specimens to study and hopefully breed.

In order to raise awareness of the species, the MBNZT has A3 posters which it is asking interested people to put on display in public areas such as information centres, outdoor goods retailers, etc.

Please email jacqui@nzbutterflies.org.nz for a poster.

A Givealittle page is on the MBNZT website if you would like to help financially.
If you're planting habitat for birds, remember that birds love caterpillars so this is a good reason to plant host plants of butterflies.

And if you're interested in butterflies and moths you'll find lots of information in the MBNZT's free e-newsletter. www.monarch.org.nz/join
The ECO community's Tieke newsletter helped me compile this piece.