 | ||
The butterflies of New Zealand include many endemic species as well as introduced and migrant species. Lepidoptera, which includes the butterflies and moths, is the third largest insect order in New Zealand.
Conservation
Very little is known about any butterfly extinctions since human settlement of New Zealand since they leave few remains. The majority of New Zealand invertebrates are found in forests so it is likely that some butterflies became extinct due to the large scale forest clearance after human settlement.
References
Butterflies of New Zealand Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA