Butterfly and bee on manuka (tea tree)

Very tattered Monarch butterfly, and a bumble bee getting nectar from a pink manuka or tea tree bush. Captain Cook took samples of this shrub back to England although nothing was done with it until much later, Early settlers used the oil and it is now used in all sorts of health foods and medicines. Apparently the leaves were used to make an infusion instead of tea.

This is a male monarch with the large black spot on each wing. It's had a hard summer and has lost lots of wing scales and the wings are very tattered. It won't last the winter, but was enjoying the sun today.