2018-09-06 Thu

New Zealand Post had released a new set of postage stamps to mark the goal of Predator Free 2050. Through this initiative, New Zealand plans to remove important mammalian predators from its landscapes and create awareness about endangered species. One of the releases in the series is a $2.40 stamp that features a butterfly, however, with a big error. Instead of New Zealand’s very own red admiral butterfly, the stamp features a foreign butterfly called V. Atalanta.

Officials of Moths and Butterflies of New Zealand Trust are extremely disappointed and NZ Post has even apologised for their mistake. It is not very difficult to differentiate between the two butterflies. V. Atalanta has a red band on the outer edge of its wings at the back. The red admiral, on the other hand, has white spots with paua blue near the tips of its wings at the front. The wings at the back have four black circles with the repeated paua blue design. These butterflies are a crucial aspect of New Zealand’s biodiversity. The larvae are a part of the diet for native birds form the country.

Accepting their fault, NZ Post officials stated that the error occurred even after doing a long research and conducting several quality checks under the supervision of experts

Image Courtesy: NZ Post