Copper butterfly

A female I think, as the males  always have double black lines along the veins. There are 3 recognised species of copper butterflies and I have no idea which this one belongs to. Most likely the common copper simply because they are, well, more common.

The adults live no more that two weeks but there are two generations each year.

We see them often on the pohuehue vine lining some of the estuary pathways. They are tiny with a wingspan of around two and a half centimeters and with their rapid, jerky flight look rather like sparks or embers floating by -  and are equally as hard to capture.