Native butterflies

This task is about understanding science vocabulary.

Question

Most people in New Zealand recognise this butterfly.
monarch-butterfly-300w.png
It is a ...

    • cabbage white

    • gum emperor

    • monarch

    • red admiral

Not many of us, though, know much about New Zealand native butterflies because we don't see them very often.

 

Question 1Change answer

Here is some information about a New Zealand native butterfly.
 
red-admiral-PK.jpg
 

Red Admiral

Scientific name: Vanessa gonerilla
Māori name: Kahukura
Distribution: Throughout New Zealand
Habitat: Gardens and forests
Wingspan: 50-60mm
 
 
Words like distribution, habitat and wingspan have precise meanings in science.
Use the information about the Red Admiral to match each word to its correct meaning.
The geographical area(s) where a species can be found distributionwingspanhabitat
The sorts of place where a plant or animal naturally lives, and from which it gets everything it needs to survive such as food water, shelter and oxygen distributionwingspanhabitat
The total length between the tips of each wing when the wings are spread out distributionwingspanhabitat

Scientists think it is important to know about distribution, habitat  and wingspan.

The next three questions are about why these are important.

Question

When thinking about butterflies being at risk, it is important to know about distribution  because 

    • butterflies that are not found in many places are at risk if their habitat is destroyed.

    • butterflies that are found in lots of places are at risk because there are more butterflies to eat food.

    • butterflies that are found only at high altitude are at risk because of the cold.

Question

When thinking about a butterfly being at risk, its habitat gives us clues about

    • how it protects itself from predators.

    • how many life cycles it goes through in a year.

    • the conditions in which the butterfly survives best. 

Question

What does knowing about the wingspan of a butterfly help us to do?

    • Understand how the butterfly is camouflaged

    • Identify a butterfly you see flying around

    • Decide if it is a native or not.

Question 1Change answer

Finding out what is already known about native butterflies gives us some clues to what might:
  • help them survive
  • put them at risk.

If you wanted to be involved in a conservation project to protect the Red Admiral butterfly, what are two other things it would be helpful to know?

 
Write both of your questions here.
1. 2.