Close-up of adult 'horned' Honshu caterpillar. The caterpillars had a keen appetite for the honeysuckle and the idea was to reduce the weed to promote restoration of natural vegetation and ecosystems. Waikato RiverCare operations manager Kevin Hutchinson, who managed riparian planting programmes across the Waikato, said early site monitoring in 2020 showed promising results. “Leaf damage to Japanese Honeysuckle plants was noted throughout the release area, and was moving up host plants into the surrounding canopy.” But by mid-February visible leaf damage had stalled. Supplied The Honshu White Admiral butterfly can lay up to 200 eggs. This one was released in Bothamley Park, Porirua, to combat Japanese honeysuckle.