Lycaena sp.
This little butterfly (about 25 mm across) is one of the commonest in the country. There are thought to be at least four similar species in New Zealand and I won’t attempt to guess which one (or ones) are on Puangiangi.
Common Coppers are short-lived with the adults lasting 8-12 days. The butterflies are present year-round on the island though. The video shows a male active in midwinter. The caterpillars hatch on and feed on Muehlenbeckia complexa and adults are often seen around the many patches of that scrambling, wiry shrub.
The dark wing veins on females are more or less filled-in with black, while in males the veins have distinct black edges with clear insides. The females I have seen also have a line of blue scales across the bottoms of the wings.
I have found them to be skittish and difficult to photograph. The best tactic seems to be to pick a likely spot and wait quietly for them to approach and decide if you are a threat or not. After a while they will remain quite close.
