Quite a few years ago we lived in Meadowbank, Auckland, with a wonderful garden designed and kept in great condition by my Julie.  

A row of Olive trees were doing quite well – they were still smallish in size (the width of the Main trunk). One of them started to show troubles with yellowing and leaves going down-hill.  

I had a look and discovered that a pūriri moth caterpillar had decided to create its tunnel right in the middle of that olive tree  

Their modus operandi is quite amazing: the caterpillar will chew the trees underneath its leaves. You can only see the action when you peel off the leaves' cover. The caterpillar hides in its tunnel inside the trunk of the tree, and it will sit there for at least five years as it grows.   

In our case, the damage was fatal – Julie was quite upset! But there’s little you can do about these native, endemic moths. 

When the moth finally emerges, that huge insect will fly around for a night, finding a partner, mating, and dropping hundreds of eggs like a B52 Bomber.  

This is a female, who often have patterned wings.   

Pūriri moths are the largest moths in New Zealand, and the males are slightly smaller than the females, and are often far more yellow in colour.   

This year it feels like the pūriri moth is having a great time out there.  

After walking around some native forests in Auckland with a group of teachers, we came across many signs of native trees with native caterpillars creating native signs and stories. 

The remnants of the old pūriri moth tunnel systems often become a perfect “second hand home” for our native tree weta.  

Which just shows you there might be "damage”, but every critter is part of our wonderful Native Ecosystem!   

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