Horse Chestnut Leaf-miner vs New Zealand Yellow Admiral

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Horse Chestnut Leaf-miner New Zealand Yellow Admiral
Scientific Name Cameraria ohridella Vanessa itea
Order Lepidoptera Lepidoptera
Family Gracillariidae Nymphalidae
Size 7-8 mm wingspan 45-55 mm wingspan
Habitat Underground Gardens
Diet Herbivores Fruit Feeders
Regions Originally Balkans, now across Europe Oceania (New Zealand, also Australia)
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Horse Chestnut Leaf-miner

A tiny moth that has devastated horse chestnut trees across Europe since its discovery in 1985. Larvae mine inside leaves causing brown blotches. Spread with extraordinary speed across the continent.

💡

Did You Know?

Spread across the entire European continent in just 20 years, one of the fastest insect invasions ever recorded.

New Zealand Yellow Admiral

A native New Zealand butterfly closely related to the red admiral but featuring prominent yellow-orange patches on its wings. It is widespread across both islands and is a common garden visitor. Adults are strong fliers and may occasionally migrate.

💡

Did You Know?

Yellow admirals are one of the few New Zealand butterflies that occasionally make trans-Tasman crossings between Australia and New Zealand.