A vast community of small creatures work for us every day, for free. By pollinating flowers, they help us grow fruit, beans, nuts and seeds. With them, our crops and our native plants thrive.

How many pollinators can you find around your neighbourhood?

Longhorn beetle

The longhorn beetle is just one of the many types of fly and beetle that are important pollinators for native plant flowers, including harakeke.

Native bee

Native bees look similar to honey bees but are smaller, blacker, and don’t sting. Native bees have short tongues, so are best at pollinating native flowers.

Tūī

Nectar-eating birds such as tūī and bellbird (korimako) pollinate many native trees and plants. You often hear them singing before you spot them.

Red Admiral butterfly

Red Admiral butterflies feed on the nectar from nettle and buddleia flowers, and sap from beech trees. They have a wingspan of 50–60mm.

Copper butterfly

Copper butterflies are only found in New Zealand. They are small, with a wingspan of up to 33mm.

Honey bee

Honey bees were brought into New Zealand 150 years ago to produce honey. Today they also pollinate commercial crops, such as orchard fruit.

Monarch butterfly

Monarch butterflies feed on the nectar of swan plant flowers and milkweeds. They can be found all year round and have a large wingspan of up to 100mm.

Bumblebee

There are four types of bumblebees in New Zealand. They pollinate some flowers that honey bees can’t, like tomatoes.