14 Mar 2013

Butterflies of the South Pacific

From Our Changing World, 9:46 pm on 14 March 2013

Brian, Hamish and Tajime Patrick at Kaitorete Spit

Brian Patrick with his sons Tajimi and Hamish (holding the net) on a butterfly hunt on Kaitorete Spit (image: A. Ballance)

A new book on Butterflies of the South Pacific, published by Otago University Press, is a treasure trove of photos and information, and it’s been a fantastic collaboration for father and son lepidopterists Brian and Hamish Patrick. Entomologist and author Brian Patrick, who is an expert on New Zealand’s moths and butterflies, currently works for Wildland Consultants, having previously worked for the Department of Conservation, Otago Museum and Alexandra Museum. Hamish Patrick is a butterfly book coverPhD student at Lincoln University, and two-year old bilingual biologist Tajimi Patrick speaks Japanese and English and is already taking a keen interest in his father’s field trips, which now number well over 3500.

To find out more about the book and about New Zealand’s butterflies Alison Ballance joins the family for a coastal walk along Kaitorete Spit near Birdling’s Flat, south of Christchurch.

Brian was recently interviewed by Finlay Macdonald on Saturday Morning – you can listen to that interview here.

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