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    • Camouflaged hind wing of a yellow admiral on a leaf
    Rights: Norm Twigge, Monarch Butterfly NZ Trust Published 16 May 2010 Size: 190 KB Referencing Hub media

    The upper sides of native butterfly wings are often colourful, but the hind wings (underside) are dull and patterned so they are camouflaged when their wings are closed.

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      2. ARTICLE

      Insects – physical characteristics

      Insects can be large – like the 130 mm wingspan of the kapokapowai/bush giant dragonfly – or tiny – like the 2 mm namu/West Coast blackfly. Insects can be beneficial like the honey bee or a pest ...

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      Our elusive native butterflies

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